Bob Ballard, The Great Explorer

Lara Logan Profiles The Ocean Explorer, Who Not Only Found The Titanic, But Also Made Scientific Discoveries

(CBS)  The deep sea between Turkey and Greece is a graveyard for ancient shipwrecks. Many still lie undiscovered at the bottom of the ocean, fragments of history that remain beyond reach thousands of years later.

Now, one of the greatest undersea explorers in the world, Robert Ballard, is trying to uncover their secrets. You may know him as the man who discovered the Titanic, but what he couldn't say then is that he was on a clandestine mission for the Navy at the time. It was a secret he kept for more than two decades until the mission was declassified.

You'll hear how that mission helped him find the most famous wreck in modern history and about Ballard's many other discoveries in his 50 years at sea.

National Geographic: Ocean Now
Web Extra: Trapped!
Web Extra: PT-109
Web Extra: Finding Titanic
Web Extra: Echoes of the Past

When Ballard took "60 Minutes" and correspondent Lara Logan with him to hunt for ancient shipwrecks off the coast of Turkey, we made an extraordinary find even he didn't expect.

To get to Ballard, we had to make a journey of our own to what used to be one of the great crossroads of civilization.

For thousands of years, ancient mariners passed through beautiful but treacherous waters to the place where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. Many of them didn't make it, their ships sinking deep below, as far as 2,000 feet down, never to be seen again.

That's where we found Ballard.

His ship, the Nautilus, never sleeps. Ballard and his team had been out there for two weeks hunting for shipwrecks - a 17-man crew of archaeologists, scientists and engineers working in shifts around the clock.

"We're here to find lost chapters of human history, chapters we've never read before," Ballard told Logan.

Asked how many shipwrecks are down there, Ballard said, "In this area, I'm sure there's hundreds if not thousands along this coast."

Shipwrecks that have never been seen.

The Nautilus is specially designed for deep sea exploration, armed with state-of-the-art electronics and navigation systems. Ballard's team uses sophisticated underwater sonar to guide them to possible wreck sites, called "targets."

On a monitor, the targets appear as little dots.

"But you can sort of start to figure it out because they have shadows. So if a ship went by like the Titanic, you'd get a very big target but then you'd have a very large shadow because it's a hundred feet above the bottom. What we're looking for is not the Titanic. We're looking for literally a needle in a haystack. We're looking for very small ancient ships," Ballard explained.

Once Ballard has a target worth exploring, he sends down what he calls, his "big guns": two remote controlled vehicles, his eyes under the sea.

They descend thousands of feet to the target, using high definition cameras and powerful search lamps to shed light on a place that has always been in darkness.

The drama of the hunt plays out in Ballard's command center aboard the Nautilus.

His team is particularly interested in what they think is a wreck that they spotted with the sonar. The crew is glued to the screens.

Pilots guide the remote controlled vehicles towards the target, some 1,500 feet below.

Asked what he thought he might find, Ballard told Logan, "I have my fingers crossed that it's an ancient shipwreck."

In the back of the room, archeologists stand ready to tell Ballard what he may have found. This is the moment of discovery that still thrills Ballard after half a century at sea.

"And the anticipation, 'What is it?' Don't know. And you come in, and you come in, and you think, 'Well, it could be this. It could be…' And then all of a sudden, the veil of darkness in the deep sea, like curtains, just open, and there it is. And you see it for the first time for 2,000 years, or whatever. You can get used to that," Ballard said.

[EXCHANGER75]

I find Mr. B Ballard explorations of great value. I have important information for his expeditions. <br />Special request: An Email address to contact Bob Ballard - It's urgent! <br />Thank you, [e-mail]

[ImmersionLearning]

For anyone interested in learning more about Dr. Ballard's most recent expeditions and his vision of the future of ocean exploration, feel free to tune into a series of free, live 30-minute webcasts with Dr. Ballard offered by Immersion Learning this Thursday, December 3, at 1:30, 4:30, and 5:30 pm Eastern. The webcasts will be geared toward kids ages 10-14, who are encouraged to send Dr. Ballard questions before and during the shows, but anyone can watch. You can find the webcasts and more information on the Immersion Learning website at www.immersionlearning.org.

[samgarza]

I wanted to see the story about Bob Ballard but when I saw that Lara Logan would be reporting I decided I would have to pass. I did open the story to read it. If you could have Lara not talk and if I didn't have to look at her Barbie persona she would be ok. <br /> <br />I am also the guy who would like to see a story on the ACLU. Have Lara do that. I would have to watch that show!

[ianslooking]

Dr.ballard you are so correct in youre passion for the search off the oceans. I have long believed the answers to many mans questions are right here on the earth. Its so interesting that the black sea doesnt have o2 in its depths.I pray you are able to continue with youre work and pass on youre passion for many years. thank you

[Yes_ABWH_Fan]

My son and I saw Dr. Ballard at Bloomsburg U. a two weeks ago. This story is almost - rote - his presentation there. However at the Q&#38;A, someone asked him about global warming, and he had the most original response I've heard yet. He stated it was most likely a natural cycle, however if man IS a tipping point for global warming, then the solution is the empowerment of women! Societies who turn a blind eye to impregnating of pre-teens who have NO say in the matter, would have a far tougher time if these girls became empowered enought to defy their establishment - greatly reducing one of the root causes - overpopulation!

[Yes_ABWH_Fan]

My son and I saw Dr. Ballard at Bloomsburg U. a two weeks ago. This story is almost - rote - his presentation there. However at the Q&#38;A, someone asked him about global warming, and he had the most original response I've heard yet. He stated it was most likely a natural cycle, however if man IS a tipping point for global warming, then the solution is the empowerment of women! Societies who turn a blind eye to impregnating of pre-teens who have NO say in the matter, would have a far tougher time if these girls became empowered enought to defy their establishment - greatly reducing one of the root causes - overpopulation!

[oregoncollins]

This was a great story but Lara Logan has to go. Most people in this county don't speak with her accent. She is hard to understand and sounds as though she is constantly whining. If she shows up on my television again I'll have no choice but the change the channel or hit the mute button and read the closed caption.

[jackacid27]

I enjoyed the profile of Bob Ballard. However, the skeptics would say "Show us." It is the cynics who would say "So what."

[maiingan]

"the man who found the Titanic would really prefer to be known for this: six foot tall tube worms Ballard found by accident on an expedition he led near the Galapagos Islands." <br />Count me in as one of the people who also thinks the tube worm discovery ranks above the Titanic. I felt privileged to be in the audience when he gave a presentation years ago on the tube worms and black smokers in an unassuming geology classroom at my alma mater, Calofirnia State University, Northridge. Thanks to CBS for this excellent story.

[maiingan]

Folks, I know how to spell "California," but it's early and I did a typo. Sorry!

Great story on Bob Ballard who is one of the greatest explorers of our time although it seems easy because of the technology at his disposal. The reporting by the excellent Lara Logan was above average. She makes a great addition to the 60 minutes team. If i were katie couric i would be dusting off my resume right about now. Please, no more couric and lots more lara!!