The expedition ship belonging to legendary maritime explorer, Ernest Shackleton, was located 62 years after it sank to its watery grave.
Knewz.com has learned that the British seafarer died on the same vessel during an earlier expedition before it sailed near the coast of Canada where it ultimately sank.
The mission in search of Quest, spearheaded by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), found the six-decade-old vessel at a depth of around 1280 feet below the water’s surface, per RCGS.
The team led by the organization’s CEO, John Geiger, endured repetitive and arduous surveys of old shipping charts, logs, and maps.
These materials were cross-referenced with modern resources and technology, which ultimately led to the vessel's discovery.
Geiger declared that “finding Quest is one of the final chapters in the extraordinary story of Sir Ernest Shackleton.”
“Shackleton was known for his courage and brilliance as a leader in crisis,” Geiger said, referring to the explorer's claim to fame:
In 1916, the seafaring adventurer and his crew got their boat stuck in the ice of the South Atlantic, causing it to sink. Due to his heroic actions, all 28 seamen were rescued, per Endurance 22.
“The tragic irony is that his was the only death to take place on any of the ships under his direct command,” Geiger remarked.
Seven years after the great rescue – in 1922 – Shackleton perished in the South Pacific on his fourth trip to Antarctica while aboard the Quest.
Geiger was accompanied by a team of experts including Marine scientist and shipwreck hunter, David Mearns.
Mearns, in a statement of his own, said: “I can definitively confirm that we have found the wreck of the Quest. She is intact. Data from high-resolution side scan sonar imagery corresponds exactly with the known dimensions and structural features of this special ship. It is also consistent with events at the time of the sinking.”
Alexandra Shackleton, Earnest’s granddaughter, was designated a patron of the expedition and called the discovery a “dream”.
She was accompanied by the Miawpukek First Nation traditional Chief, Mi’sel Joe, who shared his thoughts saying:
“[The] Quest sank in the waters off of Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit territories in 1962, while on a sealing expedition. I am so happy that Quest was found, but sad due to health reasons I couldn’t be on the ship when it was found.”
“I was happy to share local knowledge with the captain and crew of the search vessel ahead of time to find Quest and honored that Miawpukek Horizon Marine assisted in planning the expedition.”
“Thanks to all who participated in the search. Job well done. The words that come to mind are NEVER SAY NEVER. Having our presence and involvement in this expedition demonstrates the respect that RCGS has for our peoples and our territories.”
Notably, the discovery of Ernest Shackleton’s Quest coincided with his 150th birth anniversary.