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ILLUSTRATION BY ALLAN DAVEY

Shipwreck Discovery

By Hailee Romain

Learning Objective: Students will integrate information from an article, video, and multiple visuals to describe challenging conditions in Antarctica. 

Lexile: 860L; 600L
Guided Reading Level: T
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ILLUSTRATION BY ALLAN DAVEY

The ship, called the Endurance, became trapped in ice near Antarctica.

Between the southern tip of South America and the icy coast of mainland Antarctica is a section of ocean known as the Weddell Sea. The water there is covered with ice floes. These floating sheets of ice can be hundreds of kilometers wide. High winds and strong ocean currents can cause this ice to shift quickly. Open water can disappear suddenly as the floes collide and freeze together.

Between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica is a section of ocean. It’s known as the Weddell Sea. The water there is covered with ice floes. They’re floating sheets of ice. They can be hundreds of kilometers wide. High winds can cause this ice to shift quickly. So can strong ocean currents. The floes crash and freeze together. That causes open water to suddenly disappear.

GL ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

British explorer Ernest Shackleton led the Endurance expedition.

In February 2022, an expedition called Endurance22 headed to the Weddell Sea. The researchers were looking for the remains of a famous ship called the Endurance. More than 100 years ago, the Endurance set out to explore the Antarctic continent. But it was crushed by sea ice and sank.

Amazingly, all the Endurance crew members survived. But the location of the shipwreck remained a mystery. Even with today’s technology, few ships can withstand Antarctica’s harsh conditions. “Some people called it an impossible search,” says John Shears, the leader of the Endurance22 expedition.

A ship set out in February 2022 to the Weddell Sea. It belonged to the Endurance22 expedition. The scientists on board were looking for a famous sunken boat. It was called the Endurance. Its crew had planned to explore Antarctica. That was more than 100 years ago. But the ship sank.

Amazingly, all the Endurance crew members survived. But the location of the shipwreck remained a mystery. Few ships can withstand Antarctica’s harsh conditions even today. “Some people called it an impossible search,” says John Shears. He’s the leader of the Endurance22 expedition.

Survival Story

In the early 1900s, adventurers were racing to explore Antarctica. The Endurance set sail from South Georgia, an island off the coast of Argentina, in December 1914. The 28-man crew was led by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The journey was treacherous. In January 1915, the Endurance became trapped in ice. For months, the crew drifted north aboard the trapped ship (see The Journey of the Endurance). Eventually, pressure from the ice crushed the ship, and it filled with water. The men abandoned the ship and camped on the ice. On November 21, 1915, the Endurance sank.

Adventurers raced to explore Antarctica in the early 1900s. The Endurance left from South Georgia in December 1914. This island is off the coast of Argentina. The ship had a 28-man crew. It was led by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The journey was dangerous. The Endurance became trapped in ice in January 1915. The crew drifted aboard the trapped ship for months (see Journey of the Endurance). Finally, pressure from the ice crushed the ship. It filled with water. The men left. They camped on the ice. The Endurance sank on November 21, 1915.

PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

Stranded on a tiny island, the Endurance crew wave as Shackleton and five others leave in a lifeboat to get help.

The crew drifted on ice floes for five months. With supplies low, they piled into lifeboats and rowed to a tiny piece of land called Elephant Island. Then, in a desperate plan, Shackleton and five men rowed one lifeboat 1,287 kilometers (800 miles) through some of the world’s roughest waters toward South Georgia. If they had made a navigation mistake, they would have been lost at sea.

After 17 days, they reached the island. “It was probably the most incredible small boat journey ever made,” says Shears. Shackleton returned to rescue the rest of the men, who had been stranded on the island for 127 days.

The crew drifted on ice floes for five months. Supplies were limited. The men piled into lifeboats. They rowed to a tiny piece of land called Elephant Island. Then they made a desperate plan. Shackleton and five others got in a lifeboat. They rowed 1,287 kilometers (800 miles) toward South Georgia. They traveled through some of the world’s roughest waters. They could have ended up lost at sea.

Finally, they reached the island after 17 days. “It was probably the most incredible small boat journey ever made,” says Shears. Shackleton returned to rescue the rest of the men. They’d been stranded for 127 days.

A Scientific Search

More than a hundred years later, the Endurance22 team set out to find the Endurance. They looked at notes from Shackleton’s expedition to figure out where to search: a 380-square-kilometer (150-square-mile) area in the Weddell Sea.

The Endurance22 team set out to find the Endurance more than 100 years later. The researchers looked at notes from Shackleton’s expedition. The notes helped them figure out where to search. It was a 380-square-kilometer (150-square-mile) area in the Weddell Sea.

FALKLANDS MARITIME HERITAGE TRUST AND SAUNDERS CARMICHAEL

The 440-foot Agulhas II was designed to break through thick sea ice. The crane on the right was used to move researchers on and off the ice.

The Endurance22 ship, called Agulhas II (ah-GUHL-uhs too), is a polar icebreaker. It was built to withstand the harsh conditions of Antarctica. Its thick steel body and powerful engines help it break through sea ice. In the search area, the ice can be up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) thick!

The team used underwater drones to scan the seafloor. These robots were programmed to travel along set paths. The drones mapped the seafloor with sonar. This device uses sound waves to measure an object’s shape and distance.

Working in Antarctica was difficult. Air temperatures plunged to -12°C (10°F), causing areas of ocean to freeze. The crew had to set up a heated tent on the ship’s deck to keep their equipment from freezing too.

The Endurance22 ship was the Agulhas II (ah-GUHL-uhs too). It’s a polar icebreaker. It was built for the harsh conditions of Antarctica. It has a thick steel body. It also has powerful engines. They help it to break through sea ice. The ice can be up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) thick in the search area.

The team used underwater drones. These robots traveled along set paths. The drones mapped the seafloor with sonar. This device uses sound waves. The waves measure an object’s shape and distance.

Working in Antarctica was difficult. Air temperatures plunged to -12°C (10°F). That caused areas of ocean to freeze. The crew had to set up a heated tent on the ship’s deck. That kept their equipment from freezing too.

ESTHER HORVATH/FALKLANDS MARITIME HERITAGE TRUST

The Endurance22 crew lowered drones below the ice to search the seafloor.

For 18 days, the sonar picked up nothing but flat seafloor. As summer turned to fall and the weather worsened, Shears worried that the mission would fail. Then, on March 5, 2022, the drones detected an object 3,008 meters (9,868 feet) below the surface. The team took a close look with the drone’s camera feed. It was the Endurance!

The sonar picked up nothing but flat seafloor for 18 days. Summer turned to fall. The weather worsened. Shears worried the mission would fail. Then the drones detected an object on March 5, 2022. It was 3,008 meters (9,868 feet) below the surface. The team took a close look with the drone’s camera. It was the Endurance!

Studying the Ship

The Endurance22 crew was surprised to find the ship in almost perfect condition. Worms and other organisms typically chew through the wooden parts of sunken ships. But these creatures cannot survive in the frigid Antarctic waters. “It looked like it sank yesterday,” says Nico Vincent, the mission’s lead underwater engineer.

Boots, plates, mugs, and other artifacts were found on and near the wreck. There were also many sea creatures living on board, including some species that had never been seen in Antarctic waters before.

The ship was in almost perfect condition. Wooden parts of sunken ships usually fall apart. They’re typically eaten by worms and other creatures. But they can’t survive in the frigid Antarctic waters. “It looked like it sank yesterday,” said Nico Vincent. He’s the mission’s lead underwater engineer.

Boots, plates, mugs, and other objects were found on and near the wreck. There were also many sea creatures living on board. They included species that had never been seen before in Antarctic waters. 

PICTURE ALLIANCE/BLICKWINKEL/M/NEWSCOM (SQUAT LOBSTER); © FALKLANDS MARITIME HERITAGE TRUST (SUNKEN SHIP)

Sea stars, sea lillies, and other sea life had attached themselves to the sunken ship. The crab shown in the inset, called a squat lobster, had never been seen in the Weddell Sea before!

The expedition will have long-lasting scientific importance. Because the Weddell Sea is so remote, few scientists have had the chance to study it. That makes the data collected on this trip extremely valuable. “No one had ever measured the seafloor with this kind of detail before,” explains Shears.

The Endurance has been declared a historic site. That means objects on the ship cannot be removed. Engineers took photos, videos, and 3-D scans of the ship. These will be used to build digital models of the wreck for scientists to study for years to come. “We hope that soon you’ll be able to walk the decks of the Endurance with virtual reality glasses,” says Vincent.

The expedition will have long-lasting scientific value. Few scientists have had the chance to study the Weddell Sea. That’s because it is so remote. That makes data collected on this trip very important. “No one had ever measured the seafloor with this kind of detail before,” explains Shears.

The Endurance has been labeled a historic site. That means objects on the ship can’t be removed. Engineers took photos, videos, and 3-D scans of the ship. These will be used to build digital models of the wreck. Scientists will study them for years to come. “We hope that soon you’ll be able to walk the decks of the Endurance with virtual reality glasses,” says Vincent.

Check out My Antarctic Adventure to read about another exciting journey to Antarctica!

Check out My Antarctic Adventure to read about another exciting journey to Antarctica!

video (1)
Activities (4)
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

1. ENGAGE: Share prior knowledge and watch a video about a dramatic expedition.

  • Ask students to brainstorm words or phrases they associate with Antarctica. Play the video “The Search for a Sunken Ship.” Ask students to reflect on how the video added to or changed their ideas about Antarctica. Summarize what the video showed students about Ernest Shackleton’s expedition and the recent one searching for his wrecked ship.

2. EXPLORE: Interpret a map of Shackleton’s expedition.

  • Hand out the Tracking Shackleton map skills sheet. If you have a globe, show students the mapped area on the globe. Read the map’s captions and relate them to the video. Have students complete the skills sheet in pairs. Then review their answers as a class. Ask students: What can you conclude about Antarctica based on the map?

3. EXPLAIN: Read about an expedition to find Shackleton’s sunken ship.

  • Read the article, pausing to discuss vocabulary. Compare and contrast the images of the Agulhas II (p. 16) and the Endurance (p. 14 and p. 17). What kinds of advantages do students think modern technology gives the Agulhas II? (e.g., stronger materials, better navigation equipment, and drones that can go places people can’t)

4. EXTEND: Interpret a line graph showing average monthly high temperatures in Antarctica.

  • Share the Uncommon Cold graph skills sheet. Examine the temperature scale and compare it with typical temperatures in your area. Remind students that water freezes at 32°F (0°C).
  • Define a daily high temperature (the highest temperature in 24 hours, beginning at midnight). Ask: If you were to record high temperatures every day for a month, how could you get an average high temperature for that month? (You’d add the temperatures and divide by the number of days in the month.) Referring to labels on the graph, tell students that this graph shows average daily high temperatures for each month.
  • Ask students when winter starts in North America (usually on December 21). Antarctica’s seasons are opposite, so December 21 marks the start of Antarctica’s summer. Have students find Antarctica’s summer months on the graph. Together, locate the average high temperatures for those months. Have students complete the skills sheet and discuss their answers as a class.

 

5. EVALUATE: Summarize and compare the challenges facing Antarctic explorers.

  • Share the No-Sweat Bubble Test for students to complete independently before reviewing their answers in groups.
  • Ask students to summarize why conditions in Antarctica made it extremely difficult for Shackleton’s expedition to survive and why it was tricky for the Endurance22 team to find his ship.

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