Searching for the Lost Ship

When the end finally came, it came quickly.

It was November 21, 1915. Explorer Ernest Shackleton was in the heart of the Weddell Sea, one of the icy bodies of water that surround the continent of Antarctica. And his ship was sinking. 

More than a year earlier, Shackleton and his crew had set sail for Antarctica on a ship called the Endurance. His goal was to be the first person to walk across the entire continent. But in January, just five months into the journey, his ship had become trapped in the thick slabs of ice covering the sea. Eventually, the 28 men were forced to abandon the ship and set up camp on the sea’s frozen surface.

Now, from their icy camp, Shackleton spied the Endurance beginning to slip below the surface. 

“She’s going, boys!” he shouted. The crew gathered to watch as the mighty ship was swallowed up by the sea in just minutes. Then the ice quickly closed over it again, as if the Endurance had never existed.

Shackleton and his crew were alone in the coldest, harshest, emptiest place on the planet. There were no other people for hundreds of miles. 

Meanwhile, their ship was sinking deeper and deeper, until it eventually came to rest about 10,000 feet below their boots. It seemed the Endurance would be lost forever, sealed in an icy tomb. That is, until more than 100 years later, when another courageous crew dared to go looking for it in the same frigid, fearsome waters.

When the end finally came, it came quickly.

It was November 21, 1915. Explorer Ernest Shackleton was in the Weddell Sea. It’s one of the icy bodies of water that surround the continent of Antarctica. And his ship was sinking. 

More than a year earlier, Shackleton and his crew had set sail for Antarctica. He wanted to be the first person to walk across Antarctica. But in January, just five months into the journey, the ice covering the sea had trapped his ship, called the Endurance. Eventually, the 28 men had to abandon the ship. They set up camp on the sea’s frozen surface. 

Now, Shackleton saw that the Endurance was slipping below the surface. 

“She’s going, boys!” he shouted. The crew gathered to watch. The sea swallowed up the ship in just minutes. Then the ice closed over it, as if the Endurance had never existed.

Shackleton and his crew were in the coldest, harshest, emptiest place on the planet. There were no other people for hundreds of miles. 

Eventually, their ship sank to about 10,000 feet below their boots. It seemed the Endurance would be lost forever. That is, until more than 100 years later. That’s when another courageous crew dared to go looking for it in the same frigid, fearsome waters.

On January 3, 2019, another ship set off toward the treacherous Weddell Sea. Like Shackleton, the people on board wanted to make history. They hoped to find the famous explorer’s sunken ship.

One of the crew’s leaders was a man named Mensun Bound. He’s a maritime archaeologist—a scientist who studies shipwrecks and other human-made objects underwater to understand their history.

Bound had been fascinated by Shackleton since he was a kid, when his father told him stories of the explorer’s daring adventures. Throughout Bound’s 40-year career, he had made many dazzling discoveries on the ocean’s floor: ancient pottery, precious art, glittering treasure. But he had always dreamed of finding the Endurance.

To figure out where to search for the long-lost wreck, Bound studied records and diaries left by the crew of the Endurance. One of the men, Frank Worsley, had written down a rough estimate of where the ship sank. That’s where Bound’s ship was headed. On board with him were expedition leader John Shears and a team of nearly 100 scientists, engineers, and crew members. 

“This is the most unreachable wreck the world has ever known,” Bound wrote in his journal as they began the hunt. “Everything is going to be difficult.” 

Still, Bound tried to stay positive. As Shackleton once wrote, “Difficulties are just things to overcome.”

On January 3, 2019, a ship set off toward the treacherous Weddell Sea. Like Shackleton, the people on board wanted to make history. They hoped to find the famous explorer’s sunken ship.

Mensun Bound was one of the crew’s leaders. He’s a maritime archaeologist. That’s a scientist who studies shipwrecks and other human-made objects underwater to understand their history.

Bound had been fascinated by Shackleton since he was a kid. His father had told him stories of the explorer’s daring adventures. Throughout Bound’s 40-year career, he had made many discoveries on the ocean’s floor: ancient pottery, precious art, glittering treasure. But he had always dreamed of finding the Endurance.

To figure out where to search for the wreck, Bound studied records and diaries left by the crew of the Endurance. Frank Worsley was one of them. He had written down a rough estimate of where the ship sank. That’s where Bound’s ship was headed. Also on board were expedition leader John Shears and a team of nearly 100 scientists, engineers, and crew members. 

“This is the most unreachable wreck the world has ever known,” Bound wrote in his journal as they began the hunt. “Everything is going to be difficult.” 

Still, Bound tried to stay positive. As Shackleton once wrote, “Difficulties are just things to overcome.”

For decades, hunting for the Endurance had seemed impossible, even for the most seasoned explorers. The biggest challenge was its location.

Antarctica sits at the southernmost part of the globe, hundreds of miles from any other landmass. A thick sheet of ice covers 98 percent of its surface. In the winter, the sun disappears for up to six months straight. In this endless night, temperatures can drop to nearly -130 degrees Fahrenheit—colder than anywhere else on Earth. 

Meanwhile, the Weddell Sea is one of the wildest, most dangerous parts of Antarctica’s ocean. Powerful currents spin the water in a giant circle. Giant slabs of frozen seawater, known as ice floes, whirl around and collide with each other on the ocean’s surface. Farther south, toward the continent, these floes become more and more tightly packed, like a giant frozen puzzle. During the colder months, from March to September, the entire sea freezes over completely. 

Since 1915, only two other ships had dared to venture as far into the Weddell Sea as Bound and his team were now headed. Anyone who went looking for the Endurance risked getting caught in the same icy claws that had trapped the famous ship.

Another major challenge for anyone hoping to find the wreck was that it was thought to be sitting 10,000 feet below the surface, in total darkness. At that depth, the near-freezing temperatures and crushing pressure make it impossible for human divers to survive.

Bound and his team could only even attempt a search thanks to recent advances in technology. They were on a special kind of ship called an icebreaker, which has a powerful engine and steel sides for ramming through tough ice. And they had a specialized underwater drone that was built to withstand the intense water pressure of the deep sea. This robot would dive down to the floor of the Weddell Sea and search for the wreck with sonar, a device that uses sound waves to locate things underwater. Similar technology has helped scientists discover other important deep-sea shipwrecks, like the Titanic in 1985. 

But as the team soon learned, even modern technology has limits.

For decades, hunting for the Endurance had seemed impossible, even for the most seasoned explorers. The biggest challenge was its location.

Antarctica sits at the southernmost part of the globe. It’s hundreds of miles from any other landmass. A thick sheet of ice covers 98 percent of its surface. In the winter, the sun disappears for up to six months straight. In this endless night, temperatures can drop to nearly -130 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s colder than anywhere else on Earth. 

In addition, the Weddell Sea is a very dangerous part of Antarctica’s ocean. Powerful currents spin the water in a giant circle. Giant slabs of frozen seawater, known as ice floes, whirl around. They collide with each other on the ocean’s surface. Farther south, toward the continent, these floes become tightly packed, like a giant frozen puzzle. During the colder months, from March to September, the entire sea freezes over completely. 

Since 1915, only two other ships had dared to venture as far into the Weddell Sea as Bound and his team were now headed. Anyone who looked for the Endurance risked getting caught in the same icy claws that had trapped the famous ship.

Another major challenge was that the wreck was probably sitting 10,000 feet below the surface, in total darkness. At that depth, the temperatures are near freezing. The pressure is crushing. It is impossible for human divers to survive there.

But recent advances in technology allowed Bound and his team to attempt a search. Their ship was a special kind of ship called an icebreaker. Its powerful engine and steel sides were built for ramming through tough ice. And they had a specialized underwater drone. It was built to withstand the intense water pressure of the deep sea. This robot would dive down to the floor of the Weddell Sea. It would search for the wreck with sonar, a device that uses sound waves to locate things underwater. Similar technology has helped scientists discover other deep-sea shipwrecks, like the Titanic in 1985. 

But as the team soon learned, even modern technology has limits.

In his frustration and disappointment, Bound could not help but think of Shackleton and the explorer’s crushed dreams. 

After getting stuck in the ice in January 1915, Shackleton and his crew were trapped on board the Endurance for nine months. By October, with ice pressing on the ship from all sides, the vessel’s wooden beams began to snap. Water streamed in, forcing the crew to leave the ship and set up a camp on the ice. And then, on that bitter day in November, they watched as the Endurance vanished beneath the Weddell Sea. Their chances of survival seemed nonexistent.

But Shackleton refused to let the team—or himself—give in to hopelessness. 

In April 1916, with food running out, he led his men into three small lifeboats. They rowed for seven days through icy waves, until they reached a small chunk of land called Elephant Island. The island was rocky, bare, and uninhabited. Shackleton knew they could not survive there for very long.

So he soon set off again, with a smaller crew of five men. They would journey for more than 800 miles to get help on South Georgia Island, the closest human settlement. The lives of the entire crew were now in their hands.

Bound was frustrated and disappointed. He thought of Shackleton and the explorer’s crushed dreams. 

Shackleton and his crew got stuck in the ice in January 1915. They were trapped on board the Endurance for nine months. By October, ice was pressing on all sides of the ship. The vessel’s wooden beams began to snap and water streamed in. The crew had to leave the ship and set up a camp on the ice. And then, on that bitter day in November, they watched the Endurance vanish beneath the Weddell Sea. Their chances of survival seemed nonexistent.

But Shackleton refused to let the team—or himself—give up hope. 

In April 1916, food was running out. Shackleton led his men into three small lifeboats. They rowed for seven days through icy waves. They reached a small chunk of land called Elephant Island. The island was rocky, bare, and uninhabited. Shackleton knew they could not survive there for very long.Soon, he set off with a smaller crew of five men. They rowed for more than 800 miles to South Georgia Island, the closest human settlement, to get help. 

Like Shackleton, Bound and his team did not let failure keep them down. By February 2022, they were back on the icebreaker ship, searching for the Endurance again. 

This time, they had a new underwater drone that was attached to the ship with a cable so it could not get lost. The new drone combed every inch of the seafloor. It sent images and data to computer monitors on the ship above, where scientists closely scrutinized them for signs of the wreck.

Day after day, the team saw nothing but the flat, sandy bottom of the sea. Meanwhile, winter was coming again. The ship was hit by one fierce blizzard after another. The cold was so bitter that one crew member’s tears froze, gluing his eyelid shut. 

The team would have to leave soon, before the sea froze over completely. If they didn’t, they might not make it home.

Like Shackleton, Bound and his team did not let failure keep them down. By February 2022, they were back on the icebreaker ship, searching for the Endurance again. 

They had a new underwater drone. It was attached to the ship with a cable so it could not get lost. The new drone combed every inch of the seafloor. It sent images and data to computer monitors on the ship above. There, scientists closely scrutinized them for signs of the wreck.

Day after day, the team saw nothing but the flat, sandy bottom of the sea. Meanwhile, winter was coming again. The ship was hit by blizzard after blizzard. The cold froze one crew member’s tears, gluing his eyelid shut. 

The team would have to leave soon, before the sea froze over.
If they didn’t, they might not make it home. 

Sailing toward South Georgia Island in 1916, Shackleton and his men also feared they might not make it. 

Their tiny lifeboat was knocked around violently in the stormy sea. Towering waves came crashing down on them, freezing water soaking them to the bone. 

Yet miraculously, after 16 harrowing days at sea, they arrived at their destination. They borrowed a ship and soon set out to rescue the rest of their crew.

Approaching Elephant Island on August 30, Shackleton held his breath. It had been months since they left. Were any of his men still alive? He peered through his binoculars . . . and saw one tiny figure waving at him. Then another. Shackleton counted frantically—there were 22 figures standing on the ice.

He couldn’t believe it: Every single man had survived.

Shackleton never achieved his goal of becoming the first person to cross Antarctica. But his expedition is remembered as one of the greatest survival stories in history.

Sailing toward South Georgia Island in 1916, Shackleton and his men also feared they might not make it. 

Their tiny lifeboat knocked around in the stormy sea. Waves crashed down on them. Freezing water soaked them. 

Yet miraculously, after 16 harrowing days at sea, they arrived at their destination. They borrowed a ship. They headed back to Elephant Island to rescue the rest of their crew.

As they got closer to the island on August 30, Shackleton held his breath. It had been months since they had left. Were any of his men still alive? Shackleton peered through his binoculars. He saw a tiny figure waving at him. Then another. Shackleton counted frantically. There were 22 figures standing on the ice.

He couldn’t believe it. Every single man had survived.

Shackleton never achieved his goal of becoming the first person to cross Antarctica. But his expedition is remembered as one of the greatest survival stories in history.

On March 5, 2022, Bound took a walk on the ice with Shears, the expedition leader. Both men were anxious—they had just three days left to search before they would once again be forced to return home. But as they crunched through the snow, Shears’s mood suddenly brightened. “Today will be a good day,” he said. “I think the Endurance is beneath our feet!” Bound wasn’t so sure.

Returning to the icebreaker, they began peeling off their many layers of coats, hats, and gloves. Suddenly, a message crackled over the loudspeakers: “Shears and Bound to the bridge immediately.” The two men rushed to the ship’s bridge, or command center, their hearts pounding in their chests. Had they lost another drone? Had there been an accident?

When they reached the bridge, however, other team members were smiling. “Gents,” one of them said, holding up a video of the drone footage on his phone, “let me introduce you to the Endurance.”

And there it was on the tiny screen: Shackleton’s ship. It was upright on the seafloor and beautifully preserved, as if it had sunk only the day before. The entire crew soon erupted into cheers, hugging and laughing and crying. 

“I felt my whole life had been narrowing to that moment,” Bound said.

Over the next couple of days, the drone dove back down to take photos, videos, and scans of the wreck. The images revealed a fascinating collection of artifacts: the ship’s wheel, plates and pots, leather boots. Most dazzling of all were the brass letters on the back of the ship, spelling out ENDURANCE. 

These images created a sensation around the world when they were released. News of the discovery made international headlines. Bound and his colleagues were surprised and touched to find that millions of people shared their joy in finding the Endurance. 

The ship is protected by law as a historical site, so the vessel—and all it holds—will remain at the bottom of the sea. But the scans and images that Bound and the rest of the crew produced have been used to make a virtual 3-D model of the ship. This model is being shown online and in museums so people around the globe can explore a piece of history.

By sharing Shackleton’s ship with the world, Bound aims to help keep the explorer’s incredible story alive for generations to come. 

“We hope our discovery will engage young people and inspire them with the pioneering spirit, courage, and fortitude of those who sailed Endurance to Antarctica,” he says. 

alk on the ice with Shears, the expedition leader. Both men were anxious. They had to head home in three days. But as they crunched through the snow, Shears’s mood suddenly brightened. “Today will be a good day,” he said. “I think the Endurance is beneath our feet!” Bound wasn’t so sure.

They returned to the icebreaker. They began peeling off their coats, hats, and gloves. Suddenly, a message crackled over the loudspeakers: “Shears and Bound to the bridge immediately.” The two men rushed to the ship’s bridge, or command center. Had they lost another drone? Had there been an accident?

When they reached the bridge, however, other team members were smiling. One of them held up a video of the drone footage on his phone. “Gents,” he said, “let me introduce you to the Endurance.”

And there it was on the tiny screen: Shackleton’s ship. It was upright on the seafloor. It was beautifully preserved, as if it had sunk only the day before. The entire crew cheered. They hugged, laughed, and cried. 

“I felt my whole life had been narrowing to that moment,”
Bound said.

Over the next couple of days, the drone dove back down to take photos, videos, and scans of the wreck. The images showed the ship’s wheel, plates and pots, leather boots, and more. Most dazzling of all were the brass letters on the back of the ship, spelling out ENDURANCE. 

News of the discovery made international headlines. People around the world saw the images. Bound and his colleagues were surprised and touched that millions of people shared their joy in finding the Endurance. 

The ship is protected by law as a historical site. So the vessel—and all it holds—will remain at the bottom of the sea. But the scans and images were used to make a virtual 3-D model of the ship. People around the globe can see the video online and in museums.

By sharing Shackleton’s ship with the world, Bound hopes to help keep the explorer’s incredible story alive for generations to come. 

“We hope our discovery will engage young people and inspire them with the pioneering spirit, courage, and fortitude of those who sailed Endurance to Antarctica,” he says.