OceanGate’s Cyclops Maps Andrea Doria Shipwreck

OceanGate, together with a team of explorers, conducted the mapping and the first manned submersible operation to the Andrea Doria shipwreck since 1995.

The Italian passenger liner Andrea Doria sank in 1956 about 50 miles from Nantucket. The 697-foot-long wreck, often referred to as the “Mt. Everest of scuba diving” due to its location and 240-foot depth, tests the limits of scuba diving on compressed air. Since the ship sank, 16 divers have died on scuba trips to the wreck.

“Five times more people have been to the top of Mt. Everest than have seen the Andrea Doria wreck site, so this expedition was a rare opportunity for our crew – all while expanding our knowledge of the ocean,” said Stockton Rush, OceanGate’s CEO. “Using our five-person Cyclops 1 submersible, we were able to view the Andrea Doria area for nearly four hours, which is more than 10 times longer than scuba divers can.”

Rush said foggy conditions and rough seas prevented the team from conducting as many dives as they had hoped, but the team was still able to do 17 scans of the bow.

“Given the conditions, we got as much time on the wreck as we could,” Rush said. “We have great respect for harsh ocean conditions, and for the history of this infamous wreck, so ensuring the safety of our crew is always our top priority.

“We’ve always planned to revisit the Andrea Doria regularly to continue an ongoing mapping process, and what we captured will certainly serve as a benchmark for what we capture on future expeditions.”