Search for Shackleton's lost ship to begin NEXT MONTH: Expedition to find Endurance at the bottom of Antarctic sea prepares to set sail 100 years after the polar explorer's death Shackleton's 1914–1917 expedition aimed to cross the southern
The expedition to find the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance is set to sail next month, it was announced today on the centenary of the polar explorer's death.
Endurance was one of two ships used by the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914–1917, which hoped to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic.
Carrying an expedition crew of 28 men, the 144-foot-long Endurance was a three-masted schooner barque sturdily built for operations in polar waters.
Aiming to land at Vahsel Bay, the vessel became stuck in pack ice on the Weddell Sea on January 18, 1915 — where she and her crew would remain for many months.
In late October, however, a drop in temperature from 42°F to -14°F saw the ice pack begin to steadily crush the Endurance, which finally sank on November 21, 1915.
The crew made its way across the ice to Elephant Island, where most remained while Shackleton and five others sailed off in an open boat to South Georgia to get help.
On board the steam tug Yelcho — on loan to him from the Chilean Navy — Shackleton was able to return to rescue the rest of his crew on August 30, 1916.
Now, the crew of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust's Endurance22 Expedition are making final preparations to set sail from Cape Town, South Africa, on February 5.
On board the research vessel SA Agulhas II, they will voyage to Antarctica's Weddell Sea to find and film the wreck non-intrusively using underwater search robots.
The SA Agulhas II previously took part in the 'Weddell Sea Expedition' in 2019, where it succeeded in reaching the rough location of the wreck, yet did not find it.
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The expedition to find the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance is set to sail next month, it was announced today on the centenary of the polar explorer's death. Pictured: a photograph of the vessel stuck in pack ice taken in the October of 1915, a few weeks before she sank
Endurance was one of two ships used by the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914–1917, which hoped to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic. Carrying an expedition crew of 28 men, the 144-foot-long Endurance (pictured here, from a distance, stuck in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea) was a three-masted schooner barque sturdily built for operations in polar waters
Aiming to land at Vahsel Bay, the vessel became stuck in pack ice on the Weddell Sea on January 18, 1915 — where she and her crew would remain for many months. In late October, however, a drop in temperature from 42°F to -14°F saw the ice pack begin to steadily crush the Endurance — which finally sank on November 21, 1915. Pictured: British sailor and explorer Frank Wild assessed the wreckage of the Endurance, crushed by tightening pack ice
The crew of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust's Endurance22 Expedition are making final preparations to set sail from Cape Town, South Africa to to the Weddell Sea on board the research and icebreaker vessel SA Agulhas II (pictured) on February 5 this year
On board the research vessel SA Agulhas II, the Expedition crew will voyage to Antarctica’s Weddell Sea to find and film the wreck non-intrusively using underwater robots (as pictured)
Part of the preparations already undertaken for the launch of the expedition next month were sea trials that saw the deployment and testing of the so-called SAAB Sabertooth hybrid underwater search vehicles in deep waters.
According to the marine archaeologists, these state-of-the-art unmanned craft are capable of following a pre-programmed course and can relay sensor data and footage in real time to the surface via a fibre optic tether.
When the expedition reaches Antarctica, the search robots will be deployed from camps set up on the sea ice some distance from the Agulhas II, lowered carefully into the waters via holes drilled through the ice.
'We are delighted to confirm that everything is on track for the expedition's scheduled departure from Cape Town on 5th February,' said expedition leader and established polar explorer John Shears.
'The entire team has worked tirelessly since July. The sea trials provided a great opportunity for the thorough testing of the search technology.
Such trials, he added, 'gave the engineers and technicians the chance to train and gain invaluable experience in benign conditions, before testing their ability to launch through the ice.
'Whilst there remains no guarantee of success, we are now fully prepared and ready for this amazing mission of exploration.'
Endurance22's director of exploration — maritime archaeologist Mensun Bound — said that Ernest Shackleton was a figure 'who epitomised the golden age of Antarctic exploration.'
'One hundred years to the day since the death of Shackleton, it is unbelievable to announce that we will soon be embarking on a modern-day expedition to locate the wreck of Endurance,' he added.
'We will do everything we can to survey and capture footage of Endurance and to bring the epic tale of her final voyage, and of the leadership, courage and fortitude of her crew, to people around the world.'
The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust said that one of the key aims of the Endurance22 Expedition 'is to bring the story of Shackleton, his ship and the members of his team to new and younger audiences.'
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