

The key here is that those submersibles are all certified, or classed, by third-party classification societies. “Collectively, classed subs from around the world carry more than 1 million people a year on dives and have done so for almost four decades without a single fatality.” “Classed or accredited human-occupied vehicles (submersibles) have enjoyed an enviable and unblemished safety record for more than 50 years,” says a spokesperson from Triton Submarines, a private submersible designer and manufacturer. When you look at the safety record for classed submersibles, you’ll find that they’re far safer than planes and cars in terms of fatalities. Both submarines and submersibles are used for tourism, with the former popular in island destinations like Hawai‘i and the Caribbean, and the latter more common on expedition cruises.

Titan was a submersible that operated from the support ship Polar Prince, a former Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker. Submersibles rely on support ships or platforms for their operations, including transportation to and from dive sites. Submarines operate independently-they can sail into and out of ports under their own power. Submarines and submersibles are both underwater craft. What’s the difference between a submarine and a submersible? While the investigation is ongoing, it is likely that the sub’s pressure hull, the pressurized compartment for passengers, failed in some way, and the pressure of the surrounding water caused it to implode. Debris from the sub was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), indicating that the vessel suffered a catastrophic implosion that killed the five people onboard, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who was piloting the sub. On June 18, during a scheduled dive, the expedition team lost contact with the sub, prompting a multiday search-and-rescue effort by international groups. Titan was an experimental submersible designed by OceanGate Expeditions to bring tourists to the Titanic wreck site deep in the North Atlantic Ocean-about 12,500 feet deep. Here’s what you need to know before you book a submarine or submersible tour. Every potentially dangerous scenario has been evaluated, and an emergency plan is developed with the crew training on it regularly to ensure proficiency.” “However, for most touring submarines, it is uncommon for things to go wrong. Of course, there is risk when boarding a submarine, just as there is risk when you board a plane or get in your car,” says Mckenzie Margarethe, marine naturalist and former submarine copilot for Atlantis Submarines. “A certified submarine is a lot safer than public perception. But generally speaking, there’s not much cause for worry. It’s natural to be a little nervous about diving in a submarine or submersible-they are, after all, enclosed environments that take you beneath the sea. The incident has understandably caused public concern about the submarine industry at large, and travelers who have booked or are looking to book sub trips might be having second thoughts. After several days of search-and-rescue operations, authorities determined the sub, OceanGate Expedition’s Titan, had suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all onboard. On June 18, an experimental submersible carrying a pilot and four passengers to the wreck of Titanic went missing.
