The ship named Endurance, which carried the explorer Ernest Shackleton to one end of Antarctica but was crushed by an ice in 1915 and sank to the bottom of the ocean, is known as the protagonist of one of Antarctica’s most beloved survival stories.
According to the story, the crew of 27 of the ship, which got stuck in the ice in 1915 and stayed there during the winter months before sinking, was stuck on the ice on the water surface during this time and struggled to survive in the camps they set up there. In the story, which is quite famous for Shackleton’s leadership and no loss of life, the only major loss was the huge ship Endurance.
The wreckage of Endurance, which has since been lost, was finally found 106 years later. The Endurance wreck was discovered 3,000 kilometers below the Weddel Sea, just four miles south of the last position recorded by the ship’s captain, Frank Worsley, in 1915.
The Endurance wreck is stated to be in very good condition
A search expedition called Endurance22, organized by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, made the discovery in a press release on 8 March. announced in a statement. Sailing with an icebreaker, Agulhas II, in early February, the Endurance22 crew scanned the seafloor for unusual features using a series of autonomous underwater vehicles. As a result, the team who discovered the shipwreck sent high-resolution cameras to the wreck to examine the ship.
In the images showing that the wreckage is in extremely good condition; It was stated that there was no serious decay in the shipwreck, which was home to various sea creatures, and the reason for this was that the icy conditions in the Wedden Sea did not allow the existence of any organisms that could cause the destruction of the wood. When we think that the name of the ship, Endurance, means ‘endurance’ in English, we can say that the ship does justice to its name.
Endurance22 exploration director, Mensun Bound, said in a statement that the wreck was the best condition wooden shipwreck he had ever seen. On the other hand, in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty, it was noted that Endurance’s wreckage will be protected as a historical site and monument and accordingly “inviolable”.
Record ice level drop made Endurance easy to find
The main reason Endurance hasn’t been found to date is the same thing that sent it deep into the ocean: Weddel A thick layer of ice covering the sea. The ice in this region is so thick that it is extremely difficult to enter this region even with modern polar icebreakers. However, the record drop in sea ice levels in Antarctica this year has greatly facilitated the transportation of icebreakers to the region. In this way, Endurance22 has illuminated the mystery of Endurance, which has not been found for over 100 years.
Here comes Endurance
that has been underwater for 100 years
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