This is the wreck of the Endurance, the ship of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917). The Endurance became trapped in Antarctic sea ice in January 1915 and was eventually crushed and sunk in November 1915. Shackleton and his crew survived one of the most extraordinary survival stories in exploration history, trekking across ice and sailing lifeboats to safety, though the ship itself was lost to the deep.

In the images, we see the remarkably well-preserved stern of the vessel, lying at a depth of about 3,008 meters (9,868 feet) in the Weddell Sea. The ship’s name, ENDURANCE, is still clearly visible on the wooden hull despite more than a century underwater.

Cold temperatures, lack of wood-eating organisms, and the deep-sea environment contributed to its exceptional preservation. The wreck was discovered in March 2022 during a dedicated expedition, hailed as one of the most important maritime archaeological finds of the century. It provides a direct and haunting connection to Shackleton’s legendary expedition.