The wreck of Shackleton's ship Quest was found off the Canadian coast
An international team of experts, led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), has discovered the wreck of the ship Quest, which witnessed the death of the famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. According to IFL Science, the wreck is in excellent condition at a depth of 390 metres, about 30 kilometres off the coast of Canada, near Newfoundland and Labrador.
Ernest Shackleton died on board the ship Quest in January 1922 from a heart attack while the ship was anchored off the coast of South Georgia Island during an Antarctic expedition. After Shackleton's death, the boat continued its missions for several decades before sinking in 1962, damaged by ice. All crew members were successfully rescued.
"Shackleton was known for his courage and brilliance as a leader in crisis. The tragic irony is that his was the only death to take place on any of the ships under his direct command." John Geiger, the head of the search expedition and Chief Executive Officer of RCGS, highlighted in a press statement.
Searching for Shackleton
The wreck was located thanks to a combination of historical documents, maps, and modern technology, including high-resolution sonar. The search also took into account current data on currents and weather conditions and the knowledge of local indigenous people. With the gathered information, researchers determined that Shackleton's wreck was practically intact.
"Corresponds exactly with the known dimensions and structural features of this special ship", explained David Mearns, a renowned wreck hunter and oceanographer who participated in the project.
Ernest Shackleton was vital in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, leading three British expeditions. His most famous adventure occurred in 1914 on the ship Endurance, whose wreck was discovered in 2022 at 3,000 metres in the Weddell Sea. The Endurance was trapped in ice in 1915 and sank after several months of the crew's attempts to free it. Shackleton and his men survived on the ice for many months and then embarked on a perilous journey in lifeboats, eventually leading to their rescue. The survival of all 28 crew members of the Endurance is attributed to Shackleton's leadership.
