LONDON, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that the wreckage of the Endurance has been discovered under 10,000 feet of water in the Weddell Sea off the coast of Antarctica by a team from the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust led by polar geographer John Shears. The researchers found the ship using remotely operated submersibles while navigating the region’s blizzards and shifting sea ice while aboard an icebreaker. In 1915, the Endurance was stuck in sea ice for months before it was crushed and sank. Explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew escaped on foot and in small boats, but were unable to complete their quest to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. Team member and marine archaeologist Mensun Bound explained that the cold water has preserved this ship’s timbers. “Without any exaggeration this is the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen—by far,” he said. “It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact, and in a brilliant state of preservation.” Damage to the bow may have occurred when the vessel hit the seabed, he added. Boots, crockery, and the ship’s anchors have also been spotted. The wreckage will not be disturbed and no artifacts will be recovered as required under the international Antarctic Treaty. To read about an experimental study of wood preservation in frigid arctic waters, go to “World Roundup: Antarctica.”
