Up Next The lost ship of Victorian explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton can be seen in incredible detail for the first time.The Endurance sank in 1915 and lies 3km (1.8miles) below the surface at the bottom of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica.The wreck was lost for more than a century before it was found in 2022 – and now stunning new images have revealed the ship in 3D detail.
A flare gun, dinner plates and even a lost boot are visible on the deck of the Endurance thanks to the digital scan of the wreck, made up of more than 25,000 high resolution images.That boot could have belonged to Frank Wild, Shackleton’s second in command, and the flare gun may even be the one referenced in crew journals.Dr John Shears, who led the expedition which found the Endurance, explained: ‘Frank Hurley [the expedition’s photographer] gets this flare gun, and he fires the flare gun into the air with a massive detonator as a tribute to the ship.
‘And then in the diary, he talks about putting it down on the deck.And there we are.We come back over 100 years later, and there’s that flare gun, incredible.’ Each of those details tell part of the story of the crew’s daily lives aboard the ship.
The digital scan has been released as part of a new documentary, called Endurance, which will be screened at cinemas.The scan shows how well preserved the shipwreck is, and although the ship was crushed by the ice, the structure itself is largely intact.It’s even possible to see grooves carved into the sediment as the ship skidded on the sea floor.
Shackleton’s descendants say Endurance will never be raised, and visiting the wreck in such a remote part of the globe is extremely challenging.But Nico Vincent from Deep Ocean Search, who developed the technology for the 3D scans, said this digital replica provides new ways to study the wreck.He told the BBC: ‘It’s absolutely fabulous.
The wreck is almost intact like she sank yesterday.‘This is really a great opportunity that we can offer for the future.’ Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, also known as Ernie, was one of the leading figures of Antarctic exploration during the Victorian era.He led three British expeditions to the Antarctic, but the Endurance mission was struck by disaster.
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Even though the expedition was unsuccessful, it is still hailed as a major feat of exploration, especially as every single member of the crew survived.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] more stories like this, check our news page.
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