Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance located off Antarctic coast

The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust is pleased to confirm that the Endurance22 Expedition has located the wreck which has not been seen since it was crushed by the ice and sank in the Weddell Sea in 1915.

The wreck of Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance has been found off the coast of Antarctica, according to the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust.

The ship had not been seen since it was crushed by ice and sank in the Weddell Sea in 1915, and last month the Endurance22 Expedition set off from Cape Town, South Africa, a month after the 100th anniversary of Ernest Shackleton's death on a mission to locate it.

Endurance was found at a depth of 3,008 metres and approximately four miles south of the position originally recorded by the ship's Captain Frank Worsley, the trust said.

Dr John Shears, the expedition leader, said: "The Endurance22 expedition has reached its goal. 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.

"We have also conducted an unprecedented educational outreach programme, with live broadcasting from on board, allowing new generations from around the world to engage with Endurance22 and become inspired by the amazing stories of polar exploration, and what human beings can achieve and the obstacles they can overcome when they work together."

Nico Vincent, Subsea Project Manager described the expedition as "the most complex subsea project ever undertaken with several world records achieved to ensure the safe detection of Endurance".

The wreck of Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance has been found off the coast of Antarctica, according to the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust.

"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 onboard the ship and throughout the months of planning, design and testing."

It was Ernest Shackleton's ambition to achieve the first land crossing of Antarctica from the Weddell Sea through the South Pole to the Ross Sea. 

The Ross Sea Party which was landed at Hut Point on Ross Island had the task of laying supply dumps for Shackleton’s crossing party, and achieved its objective, but at the cost of three lives.

In the Weddell Sea, Endurance never reached land and became trapped in the dense pack ice and the 28 men on board eventually had to abandon ship and 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. 

Shackleton and five others then made an extraordinary 1,300 km open-boat journey in a lifeboat to reach South Georgia. 

Shackleton and two others then crossed the mountainous island to the whaling station at Stromness. From there, he was eventually able to mount a rescue of the men waiting on Elephant Island and bring them home safely.