Explorers have uncovered one of the most iconic shipwrecks in history: Ernest Shackleton's final vessel, Quest, lies beneath the icy waters off Canada's Labrador coast, 62 years after its disappearance.
Discovered on Sunday evening, the Quest rests on its keel at a depth of 390 meters, surrounded by frigid, tumultuous seas. The ship's towering mast is broken, likely severed during its descent after striking ice on May 5, 1962.
John Geiger, leader of the expedition team, revealed that the Norwegian-built Quest was a schooner-rigged steamship bought by Shackleton specifically for journeys to Canada's High Arctic. The explorer's death aboard the ship in 1922 marked the conclusion of what historians deem the \"heroic age\" of Antarctic exploration. Shackleton helmed three British expeditions to the Antarctic and was preparing for a fourth when he succumbed to a heart attack at 47.
Following Shackleton's demise, Quest served in Arctic research before reverting to its original purpose as a sealing vessel. Its sinking in 1962 occurred after ice damage during a whaling expedition in the Labrador Sea.
While retrieval of the ship is deemed financially unfeasible, the team plans to thoroughly document and study the wreckage, offering invaluable insights into historical maritime endeavors.
Shackleton's dream to be the first to traverse Antarctica via the South Pole remained unfulfilled, and notably, he never set foot on the continent during the ill-fated Endurance expedition, despite earlier voyages that took him near Antarctic regions.
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Wreck of Shackleton's last ship found off the coast of Canada
cgtn.com