Kriti Mehrotra
While there’s no denying it’s been over a century since the White Star Link-operated “unsinkable” Titanic sank into the North Atlantic Ocean, there’s still a lot of compassion and intrigue around it. This much is even evidenced in ABC’s ‘Fatal Dive to the Titanic: Truth and Lies,’ especially since it chronicles the continued human aspect behind it with the tragic 2023 Titan submersible implosion. Amongst those to thus feature in this original to share her connection with the same is actually adventurer, chef, as well as explorer Chelsea Kellogg, a passionate woman through and through.
Who is Chelsea Kellogg?
It was reportedly back when Chelsea was merely a little girl growing up in Cypress, California, that she first fell utterly in love with the outside world, only for it to continue expanding as the years passed. “Exploration has always been a part of me, I feel like,” she candidly explained in the aforementioned documentary production. “… I loved being able to go on road trips [even as a kid].” Therefore, of course, when she saw James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ (1997) and learned it was partly inspired by real-life events, it was as if she’d found her dream despite being just a third grader at the time.
It hence comes as no surprise that upon completing her education, Chelsea excitedly signed up to be a tourist Titanic Diver — Mission Specialist Master Chef — with OceanGate Expeditions in 2017. “[The cost of this] was $100,000 back then,” she revealed in the show. “I spent my life savings, inheritance; it was going to the Titanic. My dad was not happy. I was like, I don’t care, I’ll live in a shack. I’m going to Titanic. Nothing’s going to stop me.” However, it wasn’t until July 2022 that her dreams really came true, more than 110 years after the ship originally dropped and disappeared (for 70+ years) following an iceberg collision in April 1912.
There were five individuals that made this submersible trip — a pilot, a science expert, couple Mike and Denise Reiss, plus Chelsea — and all of them were well aware of the high risk they were taking. Though they were also rather confident in their safe travels owing to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush’s complete conviction in his hard work, especially since he himself had engineered the vessel. So, following two and a half hours of going straight down into the unforgiving ocean in a carbon fiber-metal cylindrical tube, all Chelsea could initially “think about was how small we are” before her mind immediately switched to locating the eerily beautiful shipwreck.
“Then you’re seeing debris…,” the mission specialist chef openly said in the show, detailing her experiences. “We’re looking to at the starbird side of where the grand staircase was from the port side, and [the pilot] is telling us, ‘Oh, this is where the clock was.’ I look directly across, and there are chandeliers hanging still on that first floor. That moment was where the tears started cause it brought in a human element. Boom! You did it; it’s done. I was in the sub for 12 hours — it felt like seconds. Titanic will forever be a part of me, a part of my life. I got everything I dreamed for.”
Chelsea then even immortalized her dive by sharing it on social media, as seen above, penning: “My lifelong dream of seeing the Titanic has come true! After 13 years of trying, patience and persistence pulled through. I am still trying to process the whole experience. I’m still crying. Still overwhelmed by all the emotions. Thanks to the hard work of the Oceangate Expeditions team and Horizon Arctic crew, we made it to the bow section of the wreck, and we were able to explore and see some of the iconic parts of the ship. The bow, telemotor, crows nest, Marconi room, and grand staircase. Dreams DO come true! So incredibly grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!,” before adding several hashtags like “blessed.”
Where is Chelsea Kellogg Now?
Despite her own positive experience as a Titanic diver, Chelsea obviously didn’t take away from the tragedy that transpired on June 18, 2023, with OceanGate’s submersible implosion and the loss of 5 lives. However, she understandably also didn’t condemn this entire operation since it’d helped her fulfill her dream — she simply hopes this ordeal now becomes a learning curve for fellow explorers plus innovators, especially regarding safety.
So today, from what we can tell, this California-Florida resident is doing her best to move on from the past by keeping her exploration spirit alive while also serving as a private chef/caterer. In other words, she has a base, yet she’s still undertaking new adventures as well as traveling the world, making it clear she’s perfectly content with her life at the moment, which is all that matters.
Read More: Where is Christine Dawood Now?
