The sinking of the Titanic is one of those stories that you can't get out of your head, right?

It happened there on April 15, 1912 and, even after more than a hundred years, it remains one of the greatest dramas the sea has ever seen.

I always imagine those scenes from the movies, with the ship sinking and everyone in panic. Ever since it was found in 1985, by that team led by Robert Ballard, the guys have been going down there with submarines, robots and everything.

But one thing that always makes me curious – and I bet you've wondered too – is: where are the human remains? I mean, over 1,500 people died that night.

Did anyone get trapped inside? Well, let me tell you what I found out about it, because there's a lot behind this mystery.

What happened that night on the Titanic

Before we get into why they didn't find anything, it's worth taking a quick look back at what happened.

The Titanic, that giant that everyone called “unsinkable,” hit an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic and sank in less than three hours. Of the 2,224 people on board, only about 700 managed to escape in boats and were rescued by the Carpathia.

In other words, there were a lot of people left – more than 1,500 – who ended up staying behind, either in the freezing water or inside the ship.

Then you think: “Okay, but when they found the ship down there, almost 4 thousand meters deep, there were no bones or bodies?” Well, that’s the big question, and there are several reasons for that.

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The bottom of the sea does not forgive

First, let me tell you what this place where the Titanic is now is like.

It's no joke: the pressure down there crushes anything, the temperature is almost zero, and sunlight? No way.

Besides that, the water moves a lot because of the currents, and its chemistry is very different from what we are used to.

So, one of the most obvious explanations for not finding human remains is that the ocean simply took care of it all. Seriously, the deep ocean is like a blender for organic matter.

There are a lot of weird creatures down there – fish, crabs, bacteria – that love a feast of soft tissue.

Just imagine: the bodies that sank with the ship quickly became food. Within weeks, or at most months, muscles, skin, all of that had become history.

But what about the bones, you ask? Wasn't there at least one skeleton left to tell the story? Well, that's another part of the explanation.

Bones can't take the blow

The thing is, the seawater down there is really acidic. This happens because of the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide and the lack of oxygen.

This acidity slowly eats away at the calcium in your bones, like silent erosion.

I've read that in other ancient shipwrecks, the skeletons sometimes disappear completely after a few decades.

In the case of the Titanic, which has been there for over a century, it is almost certain that any bones that were left have already turned to dust or mixed with the mud at the bottom. It almost gives you the creeps to think about, doesn't it?

And there's more: many bodies probably didn't even make it down there with the ship.

When the Titanic broke in half – remember that iconic scene? – a lot of people were already on the surface or in open parts of the ship.

These bodies were probably left floating in the icy water, carried by the currents.

So much so that, in the following weeks, ships like the Mackay-Bennett went out to rescue more than 300 bodies.

So, it could be that far fewer people sank with the hull than we imagine.

Things that survive and things that don't

One thing that always amazes me is that when they found the Titanic, they had personal belongings in great condition.

Seriously, shoes, clothes, even some letters survived! Then I wonder: “If a pair of shoes survived, why not the bones?” The difference is in the material.

Leather, for example, is treated to last, and many of these items were in more protected areas of the ship, such as cabins or corridors, where the current is less intense.

Bones are porous, fragile, and stand no chance against the chemistry of the sea.

Now, there are people who think that there may be some human remains hidden in parts of the ship that no one has explored yet.

The Titanic is gigantic, and several areas are so crushed or difficult to reach that robots can't even get close.

But honestly, even if there was something there, I doubt it would still be recognizable after all this time.

Chains and hungry animals

On top of all that, the North Atlantic currents are punk.

The Gulf Stream, for example, may have carried bodies away before they sank.

And deep down, there are some sinister worms – called Osedax, or “bone-eating worms” – which are experts at destroying any skeleton that comes their way.

These little creatures live attached to bones, sucking nutrients with the help of bacteria they carry inside them.

So even if some bones held out for a while, these guys probably got the job done.

Crazy Theories and Rumors About the Titanic

Of course, like every mystery, different theories always appear.

I've heard people say that the explorers found human remains, but hid them so as not to shock the families or whatever.

There is no proof of this, so I don't buy this idea.

Others say that the extreme cold could have “frozen” the bodies, like a sea mummy.

But, look, the temperature down there is low, yes, but not enough to preserve it – it just delays the rotting process a little.

The Titanic as a sacred tomb

Finally, there is one thing that I find beautiful about all this: the respect that people have for the Titanic.

Since it was found, explorers have treated the ship as a memorial, a place where so many lives were lost.

Maybe if they found any human remains, they wouldn't even publicize them, you know? To maintain the dignity of the victims.

But deep down, I really believe that nature has already done its job and erased any remaining traces.

Summing up the stop

So, that's it: the human remains disappeared from the Titanic because of a bunch of stuff together.

Sea creatures ate the tissues, acidic water dissolved the bones, currents scattered what was left, and time added the finishing touch.

There are no scary skeletons waiting in the cabins like in horror movies.

The Titanic is a reminder of how nature rules the roost, and I find that kind of fascinating, albeit sad. What do you think? Leave a comment below so we can chat!