Explorers have uncovered one of history’s most famed shipwrecks: Ernest Shackleton’s last vessel, the Quest. Found off the coast of Labrador, Canada, the ship was located 62 years after it sank beneath the icy waters.
The Quest was discovered on Sunday evening, resting upright under 390 meters of turbulent, frigid sea. Its towering mast lies broken beside the hull, likely snapped as the ship descended after striking ice on May 5, 1962.
Originally a Norwegian-built, schooner-rigged steamship, Shackleton acquired the Quest for expeditions to Canada’s High Arctic. John Geiger, leader of the exploration team, highlighted the vessel’s significance in polar exploration history.
Shackleton’s death aboard the Quest in 1922 marked the end of the so-called “heroic age” of Antarctic exploration. He had led three British expeditions to the Antarctic and was embarking on a fourth when he succumbed to a heart attack at 47.
After his passing, the Quest was utilized for Arctic research before returning to its original role as a sealing vessel. It ultimately sank in 1962 after sustaining ice damage in the Labrador Sea during a whaling trip.
While raising the ship is deemed too costly, Geiger stated that the Quest will be thoroughly documented and studied, preserving its legacy for future generations.
Shackleton never realized his ambition to be the first to cross Antarctica via the South Pole. Despite not setting foot on the continent during the ill-fated Endurance expedition, his earlier voyages solidified his place in exploration history.
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Wreck of Shackleton's last ship found off the coast of Canada
cgtn.com
