Thanks to a digital 3D scan created from over 25,000 hi-res images, the legendary Endurance shipwreck can be explored like never before.
In 1914, Anglo-Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton set out on a bold mission: to cross the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. He and his crew of 27 men set sail aboard the Endurance, but their journey was thwarted when their ship became trapped in packed ice within weeks of setting off from South Georgia, drifting helplessly for 10 months before the crew was forced to abandon it.
In November 1915, the ship sank 3,000 meters into the icy depths off Antarctica, and thankfully, all crew members survived to tell their stories. Now, the 3D scan created by Deep Ocean Search, Voyis Imaging, and McGill University allows you to explore the lost ship in incredible detail.
After spending over a century two miles beneath the Weddell Sea, the Endurance was found to be in remarkably good condition. The new 3D scan was made after the ship’s rediscovery in 2022 using underwater robots that photographed the wreck from every angle. These images were then “stitched” together to create a digital reconstruction of the ship.
This digital replica offers a new way to study it in detail. Mensum Bound, Director of Exploration for Endurance22 says, “Endurance remains beautifully preserved on the seabed in virtually the same state as when she was when she sank on 21st November 1915. Just as the crew left her.”
Discover more about this remarkable expedition and explore the 3D scan of Endurance on the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust website. You can also stream the new Endurance documentary on Hulu and Disney+.