Established in the pantheon of iconic British shipwrecks is polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance – and a documentary recently premiered in London covers not only the vessel’s final voyage but the story of its 2022 rediscovery 3km beneath Antarctic ice.
Endurance had set off on Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition voyage to cross the Antarctic in 1914, but became trapped in Weddell Sea pack-ice and sank on 21 November, 2015. For over a year after the loss of the ship, Shackleton kept his crew of 27 alive.
Also read: Endurance shipwreck shows its ‘true colours’
In March 2022 the Endurance22 expedition, organised and funded by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT), discovered the shipwreck and remarkably detailed footage and images were obtained.
FMHT trustee Mensun Bound was director of the expedition, which was led by Dr John Shears, with Nico Vincent as subsea manager and history broadcaster Dan Snow providing the live story-telling.
The National Geographic film Endurance combines meticulously restored archival footage from the original expedition with the modern-day quest to locate the vessel.
Also read: First eyes on 300m-deep Terra Nova polar shipwreck
Directed by Oscar winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, and BAFTA nominee Natalie Hewit, it was first shown during the BFI London Film Festival last week (12 October).
Screenings continue at selected UK cinemas during October, with in-person Q&As with Snow, and from the start of November Endurance can be seen on the National Geographic Channel, Disney+ and Hulu in the UK.
“The release of the National Geographic documentary is a milestone for the trust,” says FMHT Chairman Donald Lamont. “As well as locating, surveying and filming the wreck, our aim was to bring the stories of Shackleton and of his ship to new generations.
“They are stories of grit and determination that we hope will inspire people across the globe with the qualities of leadership and perseverance in the face of adversity. The stories of both expeditions are set in the hostile environment of Antarctica, a continent whose changing features affect us all.”
On his way to the Antarctic, as the FMHT points out, Shackleton avoided the Falkland Islands because he was concerned that with WW1 underway the conflict might divert him from his purpose. The Battle of the Falkland Islands was taking place as he entered the Weddell Sea on 8 December, 1914.
In 2019 Mensun Bound led an expedition that located SMS Scharnhorst, which had been sunk in that battle. Another documentary, Lost Ships – The Search For The Kaiser’s Superfleet, tells the story of that search.
Also on Divernet: SHACKLETON’S ENDURANCE SHIPWRECK FOUND INTACT, ENDURANCE EXPOSED TO DEEP-SEA TREASURE-HUNTERS, ENDURANCE TO BE PROTECTED FROM TREASURE-HUNTERS, QUEST FOR THE QUEST: LOST SHACKLETON BOAT FOUND
