Its discovery 3,000 metres beneath the Antarctic ice in 2022 was nothing short of miraculous.
But now, stunning images make it possible to see Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, like never before.
Released as part of a new National Geographic documentary called Endurance, this model shows exactly what the ship would have looked like before it was lost to the ice in 1915.
From plates used for the daily meals to the flare gun fired in tribute to the sinking ship, the scan reveals the minute details of life aboard Endurance.
Nico Vincent, of Deep Ocean Search who developed the technology for the scan, told the BBC: ‘It’s absolutely fabulous. The wreck is almost intact like she sank yesterday.’
Incredible 3D scans reveal Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, just as it would have appeared when it was lost to the ice in 1915
Endurance (pictured) sank in November 1915 after becoming trapped in sea ice off the coast of Antarctica. The wreck was lost for over 100 years until its discovery in 2022
Since Endurance’s discovery, images taken from the depths have only been able to show small parts of the 44-metre-long wooden wreck.
But this new 3D scan uses images taken by remote-operated robots, which have been ‘stitched together’ to create a digital twin of the wreck.
Without interference from the murky water, details which have been lost for over 100 years are now revealed.
The model captures how the sea ice crushed Endurance, shattering its mast and cracking parts of the deck, but otherwise leaving the ship intact.
Thanks to the high resolution of the original images, the scan even picks out the grooves in the sediment where the ship ground to a halt.
By combining 25,000 high-resolution images, this scan is able to show areas of the ship which have previously been lost in the murky water such as the iconic ‘Endurance’ banner by the wheel
This image shows the wheel of the Endurance as it was found 3,000 metres beneath the Weddell Sea by remote-operated vehicle
In these incredible images, you can see dinner plates scattered across the deck, which would have been used to serve the daily meals aboard Endurance as the crew remained trapped within the ice pack.
In another image, the researchers found a single leather explorer’s boot lying against the railings.
The expedition team believe this may have belonged to Frank Wild, Shackleton’s second in command.
Meanwhile, one picture reveals the tiny detail of the ship’s flare gun before it fell amidst the wreckage.
Incredibly, this is believed to be the same flare gun that the crew reference in their journals and which was fired by expedition Frank Hurley as the ship sunk beneath the ice.
Ernest H. Shackleton (1874 – 1922) during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in which the Endurance sank
In this image, you can see debris scattered across the deck, including plates, a lost shoe, and the flare gun used to say farewell to Endurance as it sank
This photo taken by expedition photographer Frank Hurley shows the crew eating from the same plates which can be scattered across the deck
Dr John Shears, who led the expedition that found Endurance, says: ‘Hurley gets this flare gun, and he fires the flare gun into the air with a massive detonator as a tribute to the ship.
‘And then in the diary, he talks about putting it down on the deck. And there we are. We come back over 100 years later, and there’s that flare gun, incredible.’
Ernest Shackleton set out aboard Endurance as the leader of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
His goal was to lead the first land crossing of Antarctica, making a path directly across the continent via the South Pole.
However, just weeks after setting out from the island of South Georgia, Endurance became trapped in an ice pack before ever reaching Antarctica.
The scans reveal how the crushing ice cracked the mast and damaged many of the planks which make up the deck
However, the researchers also discovered that the ship’s body is largely intact despite having spent 100 years beneath the water
Endurance was one of two ships used by the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-1917, whose goal was to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. While it was planned to land at Vahsel Bay the ship was trapped in ice and carried along the Weddell Sea until it was eventually destroyed
Due to its remote location and year-round ice cover, the Endurance (pictured) was considered one of the least accessible wrecks in the world
The ship was eventually discovered in 2022 by an expedition crew who used remote-operated vehicles to dive down into the frozen waters
Living on the ship throughout the Antarctic winter, Shackleton and his crew drifted with the ice for weeks before eventually making the decision to abandon Endurance.
On November 21, 1915, the sea ice finally holed and sank Endurance, leaving the 27-man crew stranded.
Their journey across hundreds of miles of ice and across the 800 miles of open ocean back to South Georgia would live on as one of the great moments of polar exploration.
And, thanks to Shackleton’s leadership, all 27 crew members eventually returned home alive.
Due to its remote location and year-round cover of ice, the wreck of Endurance is now one of the most inaccessible wrecks in the world.
Shackleton, Wilson and Captain Scott ready for the Southern journey, Antarctica, 02 November 1902. National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904
Its discovery in 2022 was widely praised as one of the most significant breakthroughs in oceanic exploration of recent years.
To ensure the ship remains protected for future generations, the wreck is now protected by a 1,500m perimeter from which no one can touch or retrieve objects.
This makes 3D scans like these especially important because they allow researchers to examine the Endurance in situ.
Mr Vincent, who was also a co-leader on the expedition, says that these scans could be used by future scientists to discover new artefacts or study the sea life which has colonised the ship.
Mr Vincent says: ‘This is really a great opportunity that we can offer for the future.’
Endurance (National Geographic) will be at London Film Festival on 12th October, in UK cinemas on 14th October and on Disney+ later this year.
SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON: FAMED BRITISH ANTARCTIC ADVENTURER
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was a British Antarctic explorer who led three expeditions to the frozen continent.
Sir Ernest Shackleton during the 1908 expedition to Antarctica
He was at the heart of a period in history that later came to be known as the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’.
Born in Ireland, Shackleton moved to London with his family when he was 10 and first experienced polar climates as an officer on Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery expedition of 1901–1904.
He was sent home early from that expedition after work experiencing poor health that had been ascribed to scurvy. New studies suggest he had beriberi.
During the Nimrod expedition of 1907–1909, Shackleton and his companions created a new recorded of farthest south latitude at 88 degrees south.
Disaster struck his next expedition, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914–1917, when the ship, the Endurance, became trapped in pack ice.
The crew were able to escape by launching lifeboats and reaching nearby islands, travelling through stormy oceans for 830 miles.
He returned to the Antarctic for one final time in 1921 with the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition, but died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia.
