Pirates & Shipwrecks · Polar expedition ship, 1915
Endurance
Weddell Sea, Antarctica
What happened
Endurance carried Ernest Shackleton's team to Antarctica to try to cross the continent on foot. In January 1915 the ship became trapped in pack ice in the Weddell Sea. Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship on 27 October, and Endurance sank on 21 November 1915.
Why it matters
All of the crew survived and were eventually rescued in 1916. Their escape is one of the most famous survival stories in exploration.
What came next
The crew used the ship's boats to reach Elephant Island in April 1916. Shackleton, Frank Worsley and four others then sailed a small boat to South Georgia to get help.
Did you know?
Before Shackleton bought the ship and renamed it, it was called Polaris.
Timeline
- January 1915Endurance becomes trapped in pack ice.
- 27 October 1915Shackleton orders the ship abandoned.
- 21 November 1915Endurance sinks.
- April 1916The crew reaches Elephant Island.
- 5 March 2022The Endurance22 expedition finds the wreck, about 3,008 m deep.