Ship wreck of the Endurance, captained by Eastbourne’s Ernest Shackleton, found 100 years after sinking

According to the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance has not been seen since it was crushed by the ice and sank in the Weddell Sea near Antarctica in 1915.

One hundred years on from Sir Shackleton’s death, Endurance was found at a depth of 3,008 metres in the Weddell Sea today (Wednesday, March 9).

A spokesperson from Endurance22, the expedition which aimed to find the ship, said it was Sir Shackleton’s ambition to achieve the first land crossing of Antarctica from the Weddell Sea via the South Pole to the Ross Sea.

In the Weddell Sea, Endurance never reached land and became trapped in the dense pack ice and the 28 men on board eventually had no choice but to abandon ship.

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After months spent in makeshift camps on the ice floes drifting northwards, the party took to the lifeboats to reach the inhospitable, uninhabited Elephant Island.

Sir Shackleton and five others then made an 800-mile (1,300 km) open-boat journey in the lifeboat, James Caird, to reach South Georgia - by the Falkland Islands.

Sir Shackleton and two others then crossed the mountainous island to the whaling station at Stromness.

From there, Sir Shackleton was eventually able to mount a rescue of the men waiting on Elephant Island and brought them home without loss of life.

The ship’s story inspired a 2000 movie called The Endurance - starring Liam Neeson .

The Antarctic explorer currently has a blue plaque in Milnthorpe Road.

The plaque was the first to be erected in Eastbourne – the town Sir Shackleton called home from 1916–1922.

An Endurance22 spokesperson said the wreck is protected as a ‘Historic Site and Monument’ under the Antarctic Treaty, ensuring that whilst the wreck is being surveyed and filmed it will not be touched or disturbed in any way.

Donald Lamont, chairman of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, said, “Our objectives for Endurance22 were to locate, survey and film the wreck, but also to conduct important scientific research, and to run an exceptional outreach programme.

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“Today’s (Wednesday, March 9) celebrations are naturally tempered by world events, and everybody involved in Endurance22 keeps those affected by these continuing shocking events in their thoughts and prayers.”

Mensun Bound, director of exploration on the expedition, said, “We are overwhelmed by our good fortune in having located and captured images of Endurance.

“This is by far the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen.

“It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact, and in a brilliant state of preservation.

“You can even see ‘Endurance’ arced across the stern, directly below the taffrail.

“This is a milestone in polar history. However, it is not all about the past; we are bringing the story of Shackleton and Endurance to new audiences, and to the next generation, who will be entrusted with the essential safeguarding of our polar regions and our planet.

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“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.”

Expedition leader Dr John Shears added, “We have made polar history with the discovery of Endurance, and successfully completed the world’s most challenging shipwreck search.

“In addition, we have undertaken important scientific research in a part of the world that directly affects the global climate and environment.”

Subsea project manager Nico Vincent, said, “This has been the most complex subsea project ever undertaken, with several world records achieved to ensure the safe detection of Endurance.

“State of the art subsea technologies have been deployed to achieve this successful outcome and I would particularly like to thank the subsea team for all of the engineering support, both on board the ship and throughout the months of planning, design and testing.”