Endurance: Ring of protection extended around Shackleton's famous shipwreck off Antarctica
A ring of protection has been widened around Endurance two years after the famed shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Antarctica.
An extended zone of 1,500m - from 500m - will limit activities close to the world-famous vessel which sank during an ill-fated expedition led by explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1915.
The extended zone, which bars people from disturbing objects within the area, comes as experts think debris from Endurance, including crew belongings, may be strewn across a larger area of ocean floor than previously thought.
It is part of an agreed plan to protect the vessel.
"Endurance is very well protected where it is now, given its remoteness, depth and a near-permanent cover of sea-ice," Camilla Nichol, the chief executive of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust told the BBC.
"There are however considerable potential risks and it requires an international effort to make sure this wreck is not interfered with so that it can be sustained long into the future.”
Sir Ernest and his crew set out to achieve the first land crossing of Antarctica but Endurance did not reach land and became trapped in dense pack ice, forcing the 28 men on board to eventually abandon ship.
They were stuck on the ice for around 10 months, before escaping in lifeboats and on foot, with the exploit going down in history.
The wreck had been regarded as perhaps the most difficult wreck to find anywhere on the globe before its discovery in 2022.
Endurance was found at a depth of 3,008 metres and approximately four miles south of the position originally recorded by the ship’s Captain Frank Worsley in the Weddell Sea.
Although there is a risk of people travelling to the site to steal from Endurance, experts believe this is “relatively minor” due to its remote location.
Instead, conservationists have recommended it be kept in situ and intact.
Experts are exploring ways to collate digital data from the shipwreck to present information to the public.
However, this has to be done carefully as modern technology could cause damage to the historic vessel if used incorrectly.
