Ghost Ship: ‘Heroic Age’ Explorer Ernest Shackleton's Ship Located Intact Off Canadian Coast

An expedition ship once belonging to legendary maritime explorer Ernest Shackleton has been located 62 years after it sank into its watery grave.

Knewz.com recently reported that Shackleton himself died aboard the vessel during a previous expedition, before it sailed near the coast of Canada and ultimately was lost during a seal-hunting voyage in 1962.

The search for Quest, led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), discovered the ship at a depth of around 1280 feet below the water’s surface, according to RCGS.

John Geiger, CEO of the organization, was part of the team that undertook extensive examinations of old shipping charts, logs, and maps, cross-referenced with modern technology and resources, to identify the vessel.

Geiger described finding Quest as one of the final chapters in Shackleton’s remarkable story.

“Shackleton was known for his courage and brilliance as a leader in crisis,” he noted, referencing the explorer’s most famous feat: In 1916, Shackleton and his crew were stranded in the South Atlantic when their ship was trapped in ice and subsequently sank. Thanks to Shackleton’s heroic leadership, all 28 crew members were rescued, as reported by 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 added.

Seven years after the great rescue, in 1922, Shackleton perished in the South Pacific during his fourth trip to Antarctica while aboard Quest.

Geiger was joined by marine scientist and shipwreck hunter David Mearns, who confirmed the discovery.

“I can definitively confirm that we have found the wreck of the Quest,” Mearns said. “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 the events at the time of the sinking.”

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Alexandra Shackleton, Ernest’s granddaughter, was a patron of the expedition and described the discovery as a “dream.”

She was joined by Mi’sel Joe, traditional chief of the Miawpukek First Nation, who expressed his feelings on the find. “Quest sank in the waters off 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.”

Notably, the discovery of Shackleton’s Quest coincided with his 150th birth anniversary.