The wreck of the Quest, which was the polar ship of the explorer Shackleton’s last voyage, has been found: an icon returned “to life”
A sensational discovery, made by a team of wreck hunters. Was ship identified on which the famous traveller polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. His name is Quest and is anchored on the seabed off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. While it is true that Shackleton died there, due to a heart attack on 5 January 1922, this is in no way connected to the sinking. The ship was in fact lost in 1962.
Shackleton’s last ship
Although it remained in service for 40 years after his death, the Quest is certainly linked to the figure of Ernest Shackleton, killed by a heart attack on board while attempting to reach Antarctica.
Here are the words of the wreck hunter David Mearns to BBC News: “Shackleton’s last voyage sort of brought an end to that Heroic Age of exploration, of polar exploration, certainly in the South. Subsequently, what could be called the scientific era began. The Quest it certainly is an icon in the pantheon of polar ships”.
The rediscovery
The remains of the Quest, a 38 meter long schooner steamer, were discovered at the bottom of the Labrador Sea. The credit goes to a team of hunters led by Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).
Using advanced sonar equipment, the team was able to locate the remains on a seabed at 390 meters. The wreck is almost in a vertical position, which is decidedly suggestive. All in an area previously crossed by the passage of icebergs.
The mainmast is broken and hangs on the port side. The rest of the ship, however, seems perfectly preserved, as far as possible. In her final days the Quest was exploited by Norwegian sailors. The sinking it was finally caused by thick sea ice. The hull was punctured and the vessel sank.
An event that brings the mind back to Shackleton, since this was the same damage inflicted on the Endurance during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917. Fortunately, both then and in 1962 the ships did not turn into underwater cemeteries. The crew survived and even many men who survived the drama of the Endurance enlisted to board the Quest in the famous explorer’s last adventure.
The project
The project put into practice by the RCGS team has passed through the information collected from ship’s logscome on navigation logscome on investigation documents about his loss and from photographs of the time.
For the moment, information on the exact positioning has been kept secret. This is because there will be a second visit, probably during 2024, in order to carry out a more complete investigation.
Here are the words of the associate director of research Antoine Normandin: “For the moment we have no intention of touching the wreck. It is located in an area already protected for wildlife. No one should touch it, therefore. However, we hope to return and photograph it with a remotely piloted vehicle, so as to really understand its state.”
