Like any sunny day, on Friday people packed into the cramped cabins of the bright yellow SS Nautilus, a semi-submersible vessel owned and operated by Catalina Adventure Tours, to experience an undersea adventure off the coast of Avalon. . , California — but not too deep.
But this was not for another day. Just 24 hours after several days of dramatic headlines, the U.S. Coast Guard said on June 18 that a submarine called Titan had made a “catastrophic implosion” during its descent to investigate the wreckage of the Titanic. He woke up and announced that five crew members had died. After all, the full coverage of the futile search threatened to cast a dark cloud over Southern California’s underwater tourism business, but industry insiders are concerned about the types of tours offered in places like Avalon. hastened to point out that there are many differences. and ended in tragedy.
The most obvious difference is depth. The wreckage of the Titanic lies more than three miles downstream. The Nautilus only goes eight feet below the surface, and parts of her ship are above water all the way.
About 30 people bought tickets for a 45-minute trip around Avalon Bay on Friday afternoon.
Diana Segovia sat at the Green Pleasure Pier, waiting to board the 65-foot-long semi-submersible. She was vacationing in Catalina with her son and her son wanted to take an underwater tour.
“I read it all. Very sad, very sad,” Segovia said before boarding. “But this is not a very deep story, so don’t hold back.”
But when asked if he would consider submerging completely, the answer was a resounding “no.”
“I wouldn’t want to ride,” Segovia said. “You couldn’t pay me $25,000 or $50,000.”
Inside the cabin, large portholes are lined on either side, with small buttons next to them that allow passengers to launch fish bait, “torpedoes”, into marine life. At the rear of the cabin is an emergency exit and bulkhead with a large number of certificates. Certificates from the Federal Communications Commission, Coast Guard, and Homeland Security were on display.
These are just a few of the many certifications a submarine must obtain in order to be permitted to operate. One of the most important is certification from the U.S. Bureau of Shipping, which works with the Coast Guard to conduct annual safety inspections. Requirements include things like a tracking system and four days of her back-up supplies.
In addition, submarines must meet specific design, engineering and testing requirements set by DNV, the Norway-based organization that oversees maritime safety standards.
These stringent requirements apply to almost any submersible that goes into the water, said John Council, president of the Historical Diving Association and a veteran diver with more than 30 years of experience. The Council has operated vehicles for the submersible companies SEAmagine and Triton. This vehicle allows her to dive significantly deeper than 8 feet.
“There are so many manufacturers, they all adhere to the same rules and regulations, and they all have their craft certified,” the council said. “Those machines will work until they are retired.”
The lost Titan submersible lacked those certificates. Industrial safety officials and Oceangate employees expressed concern about the experimental design, saying it “could have negative consequences.” [from minor to catastrophic]”
“Titan is not classified or certified, which could lead to a more stringent regulatory regime,” the council said. “Actually, it shouldn’t be.”
All voyages aboard the Nautilus proceeded as usual. Operating since 1999, the ship has taken tourists and passengers to her three different locations on the island to see marine life. The capacity is 51 people, and it was more than half full. Children gathered in the porthole to watch the fish around them “shoot” their bait into the water.
Dramatic music blared in the background to give passengers the feeling of an epic ocean voyage, and the crew encouraged passengers to buy more torpedoes and made jokes.
“Okay, we’re going to dive to 160 feet,” the crew jokingly said. “just kidding.”
Passengers disembark from the semi-submersible SS Nautilus in Avalon Bay on Catalina Island on Friday.
(Emerson Drews/Los Angeles Times)
Passenger Joshua Webber said, “I feel like I’m in Disneyland or something,” and looked at the underwater scenery with peace of mind.
Webber said he followed Titan’s story closely. He said he doesn’t want to go to deep water.
“Yesterday my son and I went to the aquarium and while driving there we talked about: [the disaster] I hang out with my friends a lot,” Webber said.
Sightings of sea pickles and small chrome fish conclude the underwater adventurers’ journey. Then the hatch opened and the afternoon sun returned.
Additional reporting by Helen Li.
