Scientists have found the wreck of the last expedition ship of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874 to 1922) off the east coast of Canada. The ‘Quest’ (highlighted in white in the image above) was discovered at a depth of about 390 meters off the Labrador Peninsula, according to the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).
The Briton died in 1922 at the age of 47 of a heart attack on the ship. It was then used for decades and sank in 1962. The Norwegian-built schooner-rigged steamship was largely intact and resting upright on the seabed, said expedition leader John Geiger. It was located, among other things, with the help of sonar equipment.
Based on the size and shape, there is no doubt that this is the ‘Quest’. “Finding her is one of the final chapters in the extraordinary story of Sir Ernest Shackleton,” he added. The ‘sad irony’ is that his own death was the only fatality on the ships under his command.
Expedition prepared for six years
“I have long hoped for this day and am grateful to everyone who made this incredible discovery,” said Shackleton’s granddaughter Alexandra, co-patron of the expedition. This had been prepared for six years. After five days at sea, the search was reportedly successful.
Born in Ireland, Shackleton was one of the most important polar explorers of his time. Several expeditions took him to the South Pole with the aim of one day circumnavigating Antarctica. On his way to his fourth expedition he died aboard the “Quest,” anchored off the island of South Georgia. He initially wanted to go on a Canadian Arctic expedition, but had to abandon these plans when the Canadian government withdrew its support.
According to the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, the ‘Quest’ was sold to a Norwegian company at the time and took part in further expeditions and rescue missions. In May 1962 she was damaged by ice off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador and sank. The Norwegian crew survived.
In a second phase of the expedition, the scientists want to try to approach the wreck with a diving robot in the summer and take photos. In 2022, the wreck of Shackleton’s expedition ship “Endurance” was found in the Antarctic Weddell Sea – krone.at reported (see above).
Source: Krone
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