Shackleton's lost ship Endurance found in Antarctic

Cluedo Monopoly

Amazing story and an amazing discovery.

Endurance: Shackleton's lost ship is found in Antarctic - BBC News

Scientists have found and filmed one of the greatest ever undiscovered shipwrecks 107 years after it sank.

The Endurance, the lost vessel of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, was found at the weekend at the bottom of the Weddell Sea.

The ship was crushed by sea-ice and sank in 1915, forcing Shackleton and his men to make an astonishing escape on foot and in small boats.

Video of the remains show Endurance to be in remarkable condition.

Even though it has been sitting in 3km (10,000ft) of water for over a century, it looks just like it did on the November day it went down.

Its timbers, although disrupted, are still very much together, and the name - Endurance - is clearly visible on the stern.

Furze99

Perhaps but would there not be better things to use resources on? Navel gazing stuff really.

SEPT 23 1989

what's the point of a monument at the bottom of the sea

bring her up so the people of the world can see it not just the privileged few

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756002#Comment_118756002

Not sure if serious, but it would likely disintegrate rapidly if this was attempted.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118755765#Comment_118755765

Don't you mean "Naval" gazing 😀

seenitall

Recommend the phillum Kenneth Branagh made about the expedition, “Shackleton”, some dramatic stuff. The Irishman Tom Crean featured prominently in the ill-fated venture as well.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118755765#Comment_118755765

Send polar explorers to prop up our health system? Get them building a few houses?

POBox19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118755765#Comment_118755765

Could they bring the kit to Lough Ree and search for Old's Cool next?

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756424#Comment_118756424

As well as of course Shackleton himself, who was Irish also.

Amazing story, and the story of Tom Crean is even more so. (Absolutely needs a film made about his Antarctic exploration, with Fassbender playing Crean).

The Branagh TV movie is indeed worth a watch.

Endurance by Alfred Lansing is a cracking read for anyone interested in the story.

fael

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756002#Comment_118756002

Because it's a protected area. Quote from the BBC article: "The wreck itself is a designated monument under the international Antarctic Treaty and must not be disturbed in any way. No physical artefacts have therefore been brought to the surface."

Interesting how such a significant find has been made and you make it about 'begin privileged'. I think it's a fantastic achievement!

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756560#Comment_118756560

Superb book. I think I've read it 5 times now. Tough men and ordeal.

Wickan3080

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756531#Comment_118756531

Been watching his tiktoks for the last month really interesting.

WrenBoy

Kerry man Tom Crean's story in particular is a great read and I'd recommend people to look up his deeds. Surprising how few people have heard of him.

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756744#Comment_118756744

His deeds were truly epic. The famous solo march he made to save Evans life on the Scott expedition, which he should not have been able to do, or survive has gone down as one of the greatest feats of heroism of the exploration age.

To then be a part of the Endurance expedition, and be by Shackleton's side the whole way, including the 800 mile sail in the James Caird, to hiking across the mountains/glaciers of South Georgia with no supplies and improvised hiking gear..

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756744#Comment_118756744

He would have needed to stay quiet about it in Ireland after he got back.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118755765#Comment_118755765

Around six thousand years ago, humans developed agriculture to the point where not everyone had to be involved in finding food. This let civilization grow and got us to where we are today.

Now, in the age of thinking rocks and rockets to Mars, surely humanity with its eight billion people can come together to find and protect the history that got use to where we are today.

It's really not that expensive, and in case you don't understand how money works, they don't dive down to the ship and attach a bag of money to it. The money gets spent on people and resources that in turn drive economies and keep fields such as archaeology alive.

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756347#Comment_118756347

It probably wouldn't The timbers are in fine shape. Very little biological activity at those depths and temperatures. It's -1.9C down there and the water is denser and saltier than normal.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756002#Comment_118756002

The 'privileged few' being small remotely operated submersibles? I am sure all the interesting video recordings will be published.

If you want to see an old sunken wooden ship up close, I would recommend visiting the Vasa museum in Stockholm. The Vasa spent 333 years on the sea bed. Only 32m down though!

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118757345#Comment_118757345

Yes. He was so anxious to conceal his participation in the expedition to the South Pole that he called the pub he ran for the rest of his life the South Pole Inn.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118758190#Comment_118758190

You know well what I mean, he wasn't an auld rebel. Highlighting you were in the Royal Navy wouldn't be well received.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118757595#Comment_118757595

The men who sailed on the Endurance were brave and at the cutting edge of the day. That's right and proper to respect. But going back in modern ships with modern equipment and archaeologists etc is just living vicariously off those original men. Navel gazing.

If people want to make a mark like Shackleton etc., let them go and do something truly adventurous where they have to stick their necks out, take real risks in the unknown and trust their own skills and judgement.

indioblack

Equally amazing is Shackleton's earlier expedition when he turned his party around about 100 miles from the South Pole - reasoning that some of them might not survive the return journey if he pushed on. I believe he never lost a man directly under his command.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118757781#Comment_118757781

It's been under multiple atmospheres of pressure for many years as soon as you started lifting it, the pressure would drop, wood would shrink (and wood fibres would disintegrate) and crumble away. You'd need to protect the whole structure using something like resin then lift it very very slowly which isn't very practical to do at that depth.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759414#Comment_118759414

Yep, that was in 1909. I think he was 97 miles short of the pole when he turned back in order to save his men.

Scott had the same decision to make in 1911 and decided to go for the pole. It meant his final polar party all died. Thankfully he had sent Crean back before the final push.

padd b1975

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759269#Comment_118759269

It's pretty much all been done at this stage.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118762244#Comment_118762244

Take up high altitude mountaineering or even ordinary rock climbing. Lots of exploration possibilities. Likewise underground, caves and exploring the deep ocean.

ChrisJ84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759577#Comment_118759577

There's a great book about the Nimrod expedition called "Shackleton's Whisky" by Neville Peat, about the 3 cases of Scotch found under the expedition hut in 2011. It's an amazing story!

ChrisJ84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756531#Comment_118756531

Michael Smith's biography of Tom Crean is brilliant, and there was a one man play about him a few years ago that's well worth seeing if you can.

TimHorton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756424#Comment_118756424

Shackleton was from Kildare.

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118763635#Comment_118763635

Yes, I just finished “Unsung Hero” for the 2nd time there a few weeks ago. It’s a brilliant read.

Its a story that’s absolutely ripe for the big screen treatment, and as I mentioned, we’d have Michael Fassbender to play Crean, Branagh to play Shackleton (again), and Ralph Feinnes to play Scott.

God it would be an epic movie if done right…

Ardillaun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756531#Comment_118756531

Shackleton had another Irishman with him on the James Caird - Timothy McCarthy. After that tiny boat made its miraculous journey to South Georgia, McCarthy was left to take care of Henry McNish and John Vincent while Shackleton, Crean and Worsley crossed the mountainous island. He died at sea in WWI. There’s a memorial to him and his brother, Morty, another polar explorer, in Kinsale.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_McCarthy_(sailor)

Agent Coulson

Yeah Kinsale man Tim McCarthy is always forgotten about in the story of Shackleton it's always Tom Creen that is mentioned.