A vessel operated by Seabourn Cruise Line recently located the wreck of the German freighter Titania, which sank ~110 years ago off Chile's coast.
The expedition ship Seabourn Pursuit made the discovery during a submarine dive near Alejandro Selkirk Island, part of Chile's Juan Fernandez Archipelago, on October 14th.
This marks the first sighting of Titania since it was scuttled in 1914. The discovery was made possible by Seabourn's submarine exploration team, led by Submarine Pilot Mauricio Fernandez, who collaborated with local communities. The team was assisted by local fisherman Gino Perez, who had heard tales of Titania’s location passed down over the years. Perez joined the dive and helped direct the crew to the site.
Under favorable conditions, the wreck was located at a depth of 95 meters, ~4.25 nautical miles (7.87 km) off the island’s northwest coast.
Following the discovery, the island's harbor master confirmed that no prior dives or submarine missions had located the wreck.
The Titania, scuttled on November 19th, 1914, had been the subject of local lore for generations. While fragments believed to be from the wreck had occasionally appeared in fishermen’s traps, the wreck had remained undetected until this recent discovery during Seabourn Pursuit's voyage, which spanned 3000+ NM between Melanesia, French Polynesia, and San Antonio, Chile.