I loved seeing the ship as it is now. IMO Ballard thought it was going to have more destruction than it did? He seemed to be really upset with the Crow's nest.

Now correct me if I am wrong but originally when RMS Titanic, Inc. and other salvagers were bringing artifacts up, wasn't it just the debris field they were suppose to be taking the artifacts from? It seemed to me, I could be wrong, that Ballard was not happy with that also? I thought salvagers were not suppose to take things from inside the ship, but we know that did not happen.

The ship to me does seem a beautiful place but also a dangerous one for salvagers and the dives that go there.

Ballard is noted for his flip-flopping on the salvage issue - from what I've seen, it's basically he doesn't want anyone but himself to salvage there, although by abandoning the site he more-or-less left it wide open. Incredible that the man believed if he didn't give out her [i:f2ce9f3d80]exact[/i:f2ce9f3d80] location, no one would go down there looking.

How'd you like the special? Nat Geo channel isn't available here, I missed it.

Teamtuna,
The special had some pictures of the debris field that had new items in it. Mainly, a lot of men and women's boots and a child's boot.
A woman's comb and lots of champagne bottles still filled.

Now I agree about the flip-flopping because: they showed a safe and his robot was trying to open it?? Look but don't touch. This is what he kept saying on the special. But, the safe opening thing was from another expedition he made, but still? Did he actually bring a safe up and open it or am I confusing it with the movie?

Anyway, I guess being a Titanic fan, I expected(with all the publicity on the special) to see more of the ship and maybe places we had not seen before. I thought Just MO that the special focused a lot on Ballard?

I liked it and was really rather impressed, I stayed up watching it (came on at 3am here). I thoguht the whole thing would be live and was rather disappointed when only the last 20 mins was live. And they kept showing the host and Ballard. That's fine for a few parts but they showed them more than the ship itself!

He seemed to over react on the crows nest thing. And them taking the light from the crows nest, well if they didn't, wouldn't it fall off eventually and fall into the cargo hold like the crows nest itself did??

Sorry to say but while Ballard might have the extra 40,000 to go see Titanic whenever he feels like it, but the rest of us don't and won't ever get to see the artifacts up close other than in an exhibit, so why leave them there?

Think he's just peeved that he didn't take advantage while he had the chance to take something therefor claiming it and making money like RMS Titanic Inc did with the exhibits?

He went a bit overboard (no pun intended) with the "look but don't touch" thing... And the plaque missing?? WHY would anyone take a plaque?? And the rope from the plaque was there but the plaque is missing?? Strange...Isn't it possible the plaque is just covered in rusticles or under the ocean bottom covered in sand???

Rosie,
Wow, thanks I am so glad it was not just me that thought it was mostly about Ballard and the host. They did more gabbing didn't they?

Yes, I thought the Crows Nest thing a bit much, kept going back to it.
Well, if he wanted to turn the Titanic into a museum like the Arizona, he should have claimed it you are right. I heard the plaque was put into a toilet somewhere on the ship and he found it there. But, he did not mention that on TV. I read it somewhere?

There were so many new artifacts there that were in the debris field that I would love to see in a museum/exhibit.

So, did you get the feeling the ship had not decayed as much as he thought it would except for a few holes as he said?

Rosie,
Wow, thanks I am so glad it was not just me that thought it was mostly about Ballard and the host. They did more gabbing didn't they?

Yes, I thought the Crows Nest thing a bit much, kept going back to it.
Well, if he wanted to turn the Titanic into a museum like the Arizona, he should have claimed it you are right. I heard the plaque was put into a toilet somewhere on the ship and he found it there. But, he did not mention that on TV. I read it somewhere?

There were so many new artifacts there that were in the debris field that I would love to see in a museum/exhibit.

So, did you get the feeling the ship had not decayed as much as he thought it would except for a few holes as he said?

Well I don't get the National Grographic Channel, so I have to wait for the special to come out before commenting.

I understand that as he was officially testing US Navy gear, it was considered a US govenment project and therefore he couldn't claim it. make a deal with the devil....

I taped it, but I'm on PAL system although I think there's a way to convert it over to NTSC.. Then again my Father in law has a dvd burner so he could take it and burn it on to dvd for me therefor it'd be region 2 but if one has a region free player..

Yeah, they did a LOT of talking and that one part live when Ballard and the host were talking and the camera was on them and Ballard goes "Ooh" while looking at the wreck.. I'm like "I wanna see the OOH!" but they kept it on Ballard..

I'd LOVE for them to bring up those artifacts they found. Mainly the suitcase in the debris field where those wine bottles were and the trunk they were showing.. Who knows what could be in there and while Ballard said something to the effect let your mind drift as to what's in there I'm like I don't WANT my mind to let me know what could be in there...BRING IT UP and let's SEE what's in there! My mind will drive me crazy because there's SO many possibilities as to WHAt could be in that trunk. And information as to Who the trunk belonged to... So many questions that could be answered JUST by bringing it up!

You know the part where they showed the woman's shoes and the one little girls shoe with it?? If you look closely there's a photograph in a frame just above it. I can do a screen cap and circle it if you wanna see what I mean.

And he didn't go in the ship once that I noticed...stayed outside it...

There's so much more that we didn't see... They showed the bow alot which really since Ballard said nothing changed I don't see why continue showing it as much, show the rare stuff, the inside of the ship, the debris field...TRY for the stern..

The tub they showed, was that the Captain's bathtub that they showed in Cameron's film during the "Opps someone left the water running"??? Coz if it is then it's become more visible..

Don't know what Ballard is thinking?? Goign back to the wreck and showing things such as the trunk and such on live tv and actually hoping because he says look but don't touch that people are going to follow his wishes?? I'd betcha that soon the Salvagers will go and bring up the trunk and some other things just because Ballard pointed them out.. I know I'd love to see them in person at an exhibit.

Why would someone put the plaque in a toilet??? I didn't hear that.. And why wasn't this mentioned on the show?? He made it sound like somoene took it, don't know what happend to it or who took it. Well it's not like a tourist could just go down and pick it up and there's only so many people who've gone down there....So do a bit of narrowing it down.

Some parts of the ship looked to be worse than the shows I've seen over the past few years.. The bow doesn't look that much changed at the front and I really couldn't tell where the subs had landed where he said they had..

Did you notice when they were at the back of the bow a thing that could have easily been a gate??

Rosie, You are right, I thought I saw a "gate" too. Wow, what else did he not go into description on?

Oh wow, you are not kidding I would love to see what is in that truck/suitcase. Who it belonged to and what mysteries could be in there. Yes, I would love to see a picture of the photogaph in a frame. I did not see that--darn!!!!!

Yes, why did he mostly just keep focused on the bow? I would have loved to see some other parts of the ship. Oh of course now that he showed the things other divers forgot in the debris field, you know they will be salvaged. Maybe we will all get to see eventually what is in that trunk?

I know now where I heard about Ballard's plaque being put in the toilet. When my friend went to see him talk. I will have to email her, I doubt (darn) I saved that email !!!!! I thought she said that is what he said at the convention. One of the salvagers, I think, to spite him(Ballard)
Rosie I will try to find that email from her.

Rosie,
Her email was under "TV specials/documentaries" Ballard's talk in the forum: I copied some of it:


Here are a few tidbits my friend Dea sent me from last nights Ballard Speech:
It was kind of hard to tell if he is going to go back to Titanic or not...he seemed kind of on the fence about it. He explained how the salvage crews have destroyed so much down there from carelessness. He said he placed two plaques on the Titanic, one on the bow and one on the stern. He said the one on the bow is still there, but the salvagers took his stern plaque and placed it inside a toilet on Titanic. He looked sick talking about that...his stern plaque meant the most to him because that's where several people leapt to their deaths.