3D scans reveal stunning details of Shackleton’s Endurance shipwreck
For more than a century, the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition to Antarctica has fascinated the world. Thanks to detailed 3D scans and underwater images, a new chapter is now unfolding with a closer look at the Endurance, the ship that sank during the 1914 voyage. This iconic shipwreck first found itself beneath the frozen Weddell Sea in 2022 and has now been documented in detail, with scans revealing elements of the 44-metre-long ship, which remains astonishingly preserved in the Antarctic depths.
The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust carried out the scans and captured images that revealed a wealth of detail about the ship’s structure and contents, shedding light on the final days of the Endurance and its crew.
The images reveal a surprising level of preservation on the ship’s upper deck. Although parts of the mast and railing have decayed, much of the deck remains intact. Scattered all over it, objects left behind Shackleton’s crew more than a century agoincluding signs, ropes and a single boot, offer a glimpse into their daily lives. Incredibly, the linoleum floor, printed with a faded star pattern, has stood the test of time and is still visible through the icy water.
This footage is part of a documentary out November 1 that will document the ship’s discovery in 2022 and share the extraordinary expedition through a modern lens.
A journey of endurance and survival
Shackleton’s mission set off in August 1914, aiming to be the first to cross Antarctica by land. But before the crew could reach the coast of the continent, Endurance became trapped in the thick Antarctic ice, leaving Shackleton and his 27 men stranded. For ten long months the crew endured the relentless pressure of the ice until the ship finally broke apart and sank, leaving the men to survive on limited provisions and a few rowboats.
Despite the harsh conditions, Shackleton led his men across miles of treacherous waters to the arid Elephant Island, where they awaited rescue. In a last, desperate effort, Shackleton and five others set out in a small rowboat and embarked on an 800-mile journey to South Georgia Island to get help. Four months later he returned to rescue the rest of his crew and discovered that they had all survived.
