A hundred years after it sank, it was the world’s most difficult wreck, the Endurance, which sank 3,000 meters deep off the coast of Antarctica. However, thanks to an underwater drone, it has just been discovered and, with incredible luck, is in exceptional protection. About Episode 84, Sixth Science science podcast Science and the future And the 20 minutesmakes you relive this discovery.
It took two expeditions to find the wreck
At the microphone, Marine Benoit, journalist at Science and the future A specialist in archaeology, he answers questions from Romain Gouloumès from 20 minutes. There is no doubt that you, too, like the team of marine archaeologists on the Endurance22 expedition who set out to find it in the Weddell Sea, will open your eyes in amazement.
To discover this three mast it will be necessary to send two expeditions, one in 2019 and one in February 2022. It was organized by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT), and was funded in excess of $10 million by an anonymous donor. The South African icebreaker, SA Agulhas II, was one of the world’s best-equipped polar research vessels used here on behalf of Deep Ocean Search, a deep-sea research firm, which allowed the iconic legendary ship to be located.
In fact, everything is based on the use of an underwater drone, which has never ventured to such depth. “Our submarine has swept the sea floor of nearly 300 square kilometres, roughly the surface of Cape Town,” Captured to Marines Benoit Nicholas Vincent, the engineer who coordinated the operations.
“Better than Tintin”
The team had to deal with a major constraint, the derivation of the ice, responsible for the boat’s perpetual motions, which made searching for a fixed point very complicated. Fortunately, the exceptional state of preservation of the three-masted ship, due to the absence of wood destroying objects, gives the impression that the ship sank yesterday. “Better than Tintin”Follow Nicholas Vincent.
Nothing is stopping you from re-reading after listening to this podcast TRackham The Reds ResortAnd we continue to read our article on this topic.The “inaccessible wreck of the world” has finally been found, the Ernest Shackleton Endurance! Consult the entire Sixth Science Archives, And even sign up for free on Apple podcast.