Tourists stand on rocks near the Costa Concordia cruise ship on Aug. 25, 2013 at Giglio Island
Lying on its side off the small island of Giglio in Italy, the wreck of Costa Concordia presents the biggest salvage challenge ever faced — removing a sunken ship twice the size of the Titanic without breaking or sinking it. After securing the wreck with anchors, leveling out the sea floor, installing buoyancy tanks and building a platform for the ship to rest on, five hundred workers are now getting ready for the most critical stage of the project: the parbuckle or rotation of the 114,000-ton vessel to an upright position. The operation will take place before winter sets in and be closely observed by a multitude of microphones and cameras, searching for any signs of stress along the structure. It can be monitored here.