Shipwreck Discovery

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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. 

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!