They discover the remains of the Endurance after a century
This past March 5, 2022, a team of marine archaeologists led by Dr. John Shears , finally discover the remains of the Endurance after a century, the ship of the Imperial Transatlantic Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton in 1915.
From February 1, 2022, the expedition team Endurance 22 ventures to one of the coldest, harshest and most inhospitable places on the planet with a mission to locate, examine and film the wreck of the Endurance , as well as conduct other scientific research in the sea of Weddell .
After long weeks of search and investigation work under extreme conditions, such as storms and temperatures that reach 30 °C below zero, the expedition team managed to successfully carry out what is considered, today, the underwater search. most complex ever executed.
Just a few days before they surrendered, ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) crews managed to spot the incredibly preserved silhouette of the sailboat manned by Shackleton and his men. Later, the expedition team was able to see a gratifying close-up in which the letters that form the famous name “Endurance” can be perfectly appreciated. The images of these golden letters still shine like the gold of the trophy that rewards all the preparation, persistence and work of the team on this expedition.
Perhaps the best news of this expedition is the state in which this shipwreck is, this expedition managed to take the record of the shipwreck found in the best conditions in the entire history of marine archaeology. Due to the extreme temperatures of the water, there was no trace of animals or microorganisms capable of eating or deteriorating the wood, as a result we have a practically intact ship from the damage caused by the Atlantic ice. This ship lasted 10 months accumulating damage, while the ice cracked the wood until the ship ended up sinking.
The contribution of underwater robotics to discovery
Now, thanks to the ultra-high definition cameras built into SAAB Sabertooth submarines, more than a century later, we can perfectly appreciate this old ship, perched vertically on the seabed, as if it had just sunk.
Combining the high definition of the cameras in the ROVs with the clearest waters on the planet, we can clearly see the details of the wood, the still bright golden color of its letters and we can perfectly appreciate the entire structure of an old perfectly preserved sailboat.
Without downplaying the work and effort that professionals have put into this incredible discovery, we cannot fail to point out the fundamental role played by technological progress and the recent development of ROV technology. Team members have made it clear; Without the use of technology, especially underwater robotics, it would have been impossible to achieve this discovery due to the extreme conditions of the place that makes it impossible for a human to dive in those waters.
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