ENDURANCE SHIPWRECK
FINDING ENDURANCE
Endurance, crushed by the ice and swallowed by the Weddell Sea in 1915 was thought to be lost forever. But in 2022 – 107 years later – its resting place on the floor of the Weddell Sea, at some 3,000m depth was discovered by the Endurance22 Expedition in rare favourable conditions. Locating the wreck was considered almost impossible. However, the expert team defied the odds, by combining cutting-edge subsea technology with historical archival research from the original expedition and located the ship just a few miles from where Frank Worsley, the Captain of Endurance, had recorded it in 1915.
A NEW CHAPTER
Taking its place alongside Titanic as one of the most famous shipwrecks of all time, Endurance is a historic and important artefact and site of pre-eminent international significance. With its discovery, a new chapter is unfolding for the ship. Despite its extreme and remote location and the hostile conditions of the Weddell Sea, interest in the ship will inevitably grow now that the location is known. As a heritage of international significance, it is important to define the future of the site so it can be protected and safeguarded for future generations.
Location of the wreck of Endurance
© British Antarctic Survey, UK Research and Innovation, 2023. Date: SCAR Antarctic Digital Database, GEBCO, Esri 2023
CONSERVING ENDURANCE
Our Conservation Management Plan (CMP) describes how the UK will encourage the international community to protect the wreck, promote responsible access for further study and motivate more people globally to discover and be inspired by the story of the ship. Endurance is one of the world’s most remote and inaccessible historic sites. It is also arguably one of the most stable and its management is less about practical preservation interventions than it is about managing understanding of the site.
© Royal Geographical Society-IBG THE FUTURE OF ENDURANCE
The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust has led the development of this plan, working with Historic England and a group of key stakeholders. The plan is intended to present a shared vision for the future of Endurance and we hope the CMP guidance will be followed by all Antarctic Treaty Parties. The CMP aims to inspire an international effort to protect and promote an understanding of Endurance for the benefit of current and future generations.