In 2022, Ernest Shackleton’s vessel, the Endurance, was located at the bottom of the Weddell Sea after over a century resting on the ocean floor. A team of researchers has now deployed specialized submarines to the wreck site, allowing for an exciting opportunity to explore the submerged ship firsthand.
Between 1910 and 1911, Irish explorer Shackleton raced to the South Pole, competing against Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in a quest to be the first to achieve this feat. Ultimately, Amundsen prevailed as Shackleton’s ship became trapped in thick pack ice and was subsequently crushed. After the vessel sank, it lay forgotten on the ocean floor until deep-sea explorers found it in 2022.
In the wake of its discovery, the remnants of the Endurance have been meticulously scanned by a fleet of underwater drones, according to BBC reports. The data collected has been transformed into detailed 3D images of the wreck, showcasing the site in remarkable clarity:
Using underwater robots, the wreck was mapped from multiple angles, capturing thousands of photographs that were then digitally combined to create a virtual replica.
While footage taken at such depths only reveals portions of the Endurance in murky conditions, the 3D model illustrates the entire 44-meter-long wooden wreck from bow to stern, even depicting the indentations left in the sediment as the ship came to rest on the ocean floor.
The model captures the details of the ice’s crushing impact—showing the collapsed masts and the wreckage of the deck—yet the ship’s overall structure remains mostly preserved.
The advanced technology utilized for scanning and reconstructing the ship was developed by Deep Ocean Search in collaboration with Voyis Imaging and McGill University, reports the Guardian. Deep Ocean Search played a crucial role in the original detection of the Endurance during an expedition organized by the Falklands Marine Heritage Trust in March 2022.
The scans have also been featured in a new National Geographic documentary, set to premiere in theaters this month and later on Disney+, as the Guardian notes:
These images accompany a National Geographic documentary detailing the expedition and the 2022 search for the Endurance. In an innovative twist, the film employs AI technology to recreate the voices of Shackleton and six crew members, enabling them to “narrate” their own journals.
“This use of AI to bring the diary readings to life allows you to hear Shackleton and his men narrating their own stories in their own voices,” explained director Jimmy Chin. “This kind of technology didn’t exist a few years ago, making this an exciting feature of the film.”
For those intrigued by the wreck’s visuals and the prospect of an AI-enhanced Shackleton, consider exploring the discovery of a long-lost ghost ship from the Second World War found earlier this month, or take a look at a 109-year-old wreck unearthed last year in Michigan.
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