More than 100 years after its infamous shipwreck in 1915, the Endurance has been found off the coast of Antarctica.
The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust announced on March 9 that Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost vessel, a three-masted barquentine, had been located by the Endurance22 Expedition.
The ship was discovered at a depth of 3,008 meters (an estimated 9,868 feet) in the Weddell Sea, approximately 4 miles south of the position initially recorded by its captain, a New Zealand sailor named Frank Worsley.
“We pay tribute to the navigational skills of Captain Frank Worsley, the Captain of the Endurance, whose detailed records were invaluable in our quest to locate the wreck. I would like to thank my colleagues of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust for enabling this extraordinary expedition to take place, as well as Saab for their technology, and the whole team of dedicated experts who have been involved in this monumental discovery,” said Director of Exploration Mensun Bound in a statement.
The journey to find the ship began this past February in Cape Town, South Africa. The expedition team planned to locate the sailboat using drones and specialized equipment including submarines, helicopters, and robots.
“Endurance22 has reached its goal. We have made polar history with the discovery of Endurance and successfully completed the world’s most challenging shipwreck search,” said expedition leader Dr. John Shears.
Endurance had not been seen since 1915 when it was crushed by ice until it sank in the Weddell Sea, forcing Shackleton and his crew of twenty-eight men to abandon ship. Shackleton’s ambition was to achieve the first land crossing of Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea via the South Pole, but the ship never accomplished the mission.
According to the BBC, the Weddell Sea is known for its thick sea ice, which makes for dangerous sailing conditions.
After months spent floating northwards in makeshift camps on large packs of ice, Shackleton and the crew eventually reached Elephant Island. He and five others then set out on an 800-mile open-boat journey in the lifeboat James Caird to reach South Georgia.
Once they made it to the island, Shackleton and two of his companions traveled across the island to the whaling station at Stromness. The explorer then returned for the men waiting on Elephant Island and brought them home safely.
The Endurance was found on Saturday, March 5, the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s funeral.
