Explorer Ernest Shackleton's last ship found off Labrador's south coast, says expedition

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society says it has found polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s final ship, the Quest, off Labrador's south coast, 390 metres underwater. (Royal Canadian Geographical Society/X)The last vessel helmed by famed Anglo-Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton — lost for more than 60 years — has been discovered on the ocean floor, less than half a kilometre off Labrador's south coast, says the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Expedition leader John Geiger, the society's CEO, said the wreck was found in the Labrador Sea, lying at a depth of 390 metres. He added it was in the vicinity of where the ship had been reported to have sunk.

''This is a very important vessel. Historically it was the final expedition ship of Sir Ernest Shackleton," he said Wednesday morning at a news conference at the Marine Institute in St. John's. "As many of you know, he died on this ship on his final expedition of the Shackleton–Rowett expedition, which set out to initially explore Canada."

Using sonar operated by Marine Institute staff, the international team say they found the Quest off the coast near Battle Harbour, on Sunday, five days into its expedition, which left June 5.

Shackleton died at the age of 47 aboard the Quest in 1922 near island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. (Getty Images)

Shackleton died of a heart attack aboard the Quest in 1922, at the age of 47, near the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic during a voyage to Antarctica.

The Quest, a schooner-rigged steamship, remained in service for decades, including as a minesweeper in World War Two and as a sealing vessel. In 1962 it struck ice and sank off Labrador's coast.

Search director David Mearns said he's certain the vessel the team found is the Quest.

"It's largely intact. We'll be very excited for the second phase of the expedition, which is to actually photograph and visually document the shipwreck and the artifacts," said Mearns.

Mearns hopes that will take place later this summer.

They were searching in an area of about 24 square nautical miles, he said.

"That search box was determined by our analysis of the uncertainty of the navigation position where the ship was lost. We only had a single position, just one position, for the sinking."

Mearns said the team had to determine how accurate the position was.

"Because when we go out searching for shipwrecks we don't search for X's. We don't go to spots. We search for boxes. And those boxes have to give us the highest possible chance of finding the shipwreck."

Expedition leader John Geiger, the society's CEO, says the Quest was found in the Labrador Sea, near where it was reported to have sun in 1962. (Royal Canadian Geographical Society)

Shackelton's granddaughter Alexandra Shackleton was a patron of the expedition to find the Quest.

"It is perhaps fitting that the ship should have ended its storied service in Canadian waters. I have long hoped for this day and am grateful to those who made this incredible discovery," she said in the statement.

Traditional Chief Mi'sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation, another expedition patron, said he was happy the vessel had been found, noting it had sunk in waters off Mi'kmaw, Innu and Inuit territories.

"I was happy to share local knowledge with the captain and crew of the search vessel ahead of time to find Quest and honoured that Miawpukek Horizon Marine assisted in planning the expedition."

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