Shackleton’s Endurance Found!
By Anne Kalosh.
The discovery of explorer Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance, 107 years after it sank in the Antarctic, is cause for great excitement the world over including in expedition cruising.
It was the search expedition Endurance22 that located the wreck at a depth of 9,869 feet/3,008 meters in the Weddell Sea. It is upright and looks to be remarkably preserved.
Endurance’s rear deck and wheel, in relatively great shape. * Photo: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust
The New York Times called Shackleton’s Endurance “among the most celebrated shipwrecks that had not been found” — until now — and said it “holds a revered place in polar history because it spawned one of the greatest survival stories in the annals of exploration.”
Simon Worrall writes for National Geographic that:
“Director of exploration for the Endurance22 expedition, Mensun Bound says when they saw the first images beamed from the AUV, he and other members of his 65-person team were confident it was Endurance and not another wreck. But unequivocal proof soon came literally into focus: a closeup of the stern revealed shiny brass letters spelling out Endurance above a polar star. ‘You see that, and your eyes pop out on stalks,’ Bound says. It was ‘one of those wormhole moments when you tumble back in time. I could feel the breath of Shackleton on my neck.'” Read more here.
In 1915, the wooden, three-masted Endurance was crushed by sea ice and sank, forcing Shackleton and his men to make an astonishing escape on foot and in small boats.
The final sinking of Endurance. * Photo: Royal Geographic Society
The Endurance22 crew found the vessel within the search area defined by the expedition team before it left Cape Town on a South African icebreaker, and approximately four miles south of the last position recorded by Shackleton’s captain, Frank Worsley.
Enduring Relevance
“Every cruiser who has ever been to Antarctica knows Ernest Shackleton’s amazing story and this will add to the excitement of expedition cruising,” said John Delaney, past president of Windstar Cruises and board member of Reach the World, a nonprofit group dedicated to bringing the world to kids who may not have the opportunity to travel very far outside their own communities.
Reach the World, Endurance22’s lead education and outreach partner, has engaged tens of thousands of students around the globe in the search for Endurance over the past five months.
Expedition Recollections
Shackleton’s heroism — all 28 men under his command survived — lives on in expedition cruising, his fortitude recounted in onboard lectures during Antarctic voyages and more, including ship names.
While aboard my cushy Antarctic expedition with Abercrombie & Kent in 1994, I vividly recall shivering when hearing about the incredible hardships Shackleton and his men faced; the saga made a powerful impression on me and my fellow travelers.
National Geographic Endurance
Lindblad Expeditions named its first polar newbuild, inaugurated in 2021, National Geographic Endurance in honor of Shackleton, who Sven Lindblad called “Lindblad Expeditions’ most revered explorer.”
National Geographic Endurance and sister ship National Geographic Resolution, along with National Geographic Explorer, operated in Antarctica this season and will be back next season.
Lindblad Expeditions named its National Geographic Endurance in honor of Shackleton. * Photo: Lindblad Expeditions
A&K Expeditions
Companies like Abercrombie & Kent have been quick to capitalize on the finding of Endurance by inviting travelers to follow in Shackleton’s footsteps on a variety of trips.
The current Antarctica season wraps this month but the 2022/23 season, which begins in October, is expected to be huge.
Just two examples of A&K expeditions include “Antarctic Cruise Adventure: A Changing Landscape,” 12 nights, departing Dec. 9. Besides Shackleton history, the expedition will uncover the effects of rising global temperatures first-hand with lectures by climate scientist James McClintock.
And A&K’s “Antarctica, South Georgia & Falklands: Holiday Voyage,” 17 nights, departs Dec. 19 and gives travelers the chance to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve in the Southern Ocean. Both expeditions are on Ponant’s 264-pax Le Lyrial (it takes a max of 199 pax in Antarctica).
The 264-pax Le Lyrial. * Photo: Ponant
Other small-ship companies operating in Antarctica include Albatros Expeditions, Antarctica21, Aurora Expeditions, Atlas Ocean Voyages, EYOS Expeditions, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Hurtigruten Expeditions, Noble Caledonia, Oceanwide Expeditions, Ponant, Poseidon Expeditions, Quark Expeditions, Scenic, Seabourn, Silversea, Swan Hellenic and Viking, among others.
RELATED: Check out John Robert’s review of his Le Lyrial Antarctica expedition with A&K.
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HEIDI SARNA
