The wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance has been found off the coast of Antarctica. It had not been seen since it was crushed by sea ice and sank in the Weddell Sea in 1915.
Scientists on the Endurance22 Expedition set off from Cape Town, South Africa, in February – a month after the 100th anniversary of Shackleton's death on a mission to locate it. Endurance was found at a depth of 3,008 metres and approximately four miles south of the position originally recorded by the ship's captain Frank Worsley, according to the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust.
The expedition's director of exploration said footage showed it to be intact and "by far the finest wooden shipwreck" he had seen. Mensun Bound said: "We are overwhelmed by our good fortune in having located and captured images of Endurance."
"It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact, and in a brilliant state of preservation. You can even see 'Endurance' arced across the stern, directly below the taffrail.
"This is a milestone in polar history. However, it is not all about the past; we are bringing the story of Shackleton and Endurance to new audiences, and to the next generation, who will be entrusted with the essential safeguarding of our polar regions and our planet."
The expedition – described as "the world's most challenging shipwreck search" – used remotely-operated submersible cameras aboard the Agulhas II icebreaker to locate the Endurance. Scientists surveyed the ship but did not touch or retrieve any part of it.
Historian and broadcaster Dan Snow joined explorers on the search and described the wreck as in an "astonishing state of preservation". He tweeted: "The Antarctic seabed does not have any wood eating micro organisms, the water has the clarity of distilled water. We were able to film the wreck in super high definition. The results are magical #Endurance22."
Expedition leader Dr John Shears said: "We have made polar history with the discovery of Endurance, and successfully completed the world's most challenging shipwreck search. In addition, we have undertaken important scientific research in a part of the world that directly affects the global climate and environment.
"We have also conducted an unprecedented educational outreach programme, with live broadcasting from onboard, allowing new generations from around the world to engage with Endurance22 and become inspired by the amazing stories of polar exploration, and what human beings can achieve and the obstacles they can overcome when they work together."
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
