Officials have released the first close-up images of the remains of the Quest, the final ship of legendary Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The photographs were captured at the vessel's resting place in the Labrador Sea, approximately 1,280 feet beneath the surface off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and were made public in July.
Dwight Coleman, co-chief scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), described the wreck as remaining recognizable and in moderate condition after 60 years submerged. "You could tell it was a ship," Coleman said. "It had an obvious bow and stern, rudder and propeller. Even though it was sort of covered in fishing nets, you could still tell that some of that structure was preserved underneath the nets."
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), in collaboration with WHOI, stated that the wreck is now home to pink corals and several species of fish, including cod, redfish, and wolf fish. The images reveal fishing nets draped across sections of the wreck, along with intact parts of its metal superstructure and portholes.
Shackleton, a celebrated Antarctic explorer, died aboard the Quest in 1922 at the age of 47. He suffered a heart attack while the ship was anchored in South Georgia, a remote island in the South Atlantic. Following his death, the Quest was sold to Norwegian owners and spent decades sailing in Arctic waters before being crushed by ice floes and sinking in the Labrador Sea in 1962.
John Geiger, CEO of the RCGS, called the first sighting of the Quest a "moving experience." He described the moment the ship's bow emerged from the darkness as "incredible."
The expedition team utilized WHOI's Falcon Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to capture images and create a digital twin of the shipwreck. The DSV Alvin submersible, which previously visited the Titanic wreck, was also involved. Both vessels were made available through the National Science Foundation.
Coleman noted that a significant aspect of his work involved creating a digital twin of the shipwreck. He expressed surprise at the amount of fishing gear and marine life present around the wreck. "I wasn’t expecting all the fishing gear, the nets and all the fish," he said. "I was honestly thinking it was a little bit deeper and in cold water, and that it would be pretty well-preserved and free of fishing gear because I didn’t think there was that much fishing up there." He added, "Boy, was I wrong. ... It was a vibrant sort of marine life ecosystem around it."
While much of the ship remains identifiable, Coleman observed that its wooden components are "rapidly deteriorating" due to decades underwater. "A lot of the wood was collapsing and degrading. The wooden deck was basically completely gone," he said. "The metal structures of the ship were still pretty well intact, although deteriorating."
Researchers aim to preserve the wreck through detailed digital mapping rather than artifact recovery. "We understand most of the components that we could find on it, so you’re not really learning anything about history by recovering the artifacts. ... There really isn’t much need to," Coleman explained. He emphasized that expeditions like this contribute to a better understanding of maritime history and the marine ecosystems surrounding historic shipwrecks.
"By studying them, we can bring recognition to history and oceanography," Coleman stated. "These shipwrecks are now artificial reefs that support diverse sorts of biological communities." He further added, "We care about those communities. We want to understand how animals live in the deep ocean. So, by bringing this project to the public, the public can gain a deeper appreciation for history and for the ocean."