In the early morning hours of September 1, 1985, after eight years of research and preparation, oceanographer Robert Ballard and National Geographic staff photographer Emory Kristof, with the help of a robotic submarine, discover the sunken Titanic. The wreck lies split into two pieces under 12,000 feet (3,700 meters) of water about 375 miles (600 kilometers) off the coast of Newfoundland.