Sir Ernest Shackleton led famed expedition that became timeless story of human survival.

In 1915, intrepid British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew were stranded for months on the Antarctic ice after their ship, Endurance, was crushed by pack ice and sank into the freezing depths of the Weddell Sea. Today, the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and National Geographic announced the discovery of this famous shipwreck, nearly 107 years later, 3,008 meters down, roughly four miles (6.4 km) south of the ship's last recorded position.

The shipwreck is in pristine condition partly because of the lack of wood-eating microbes in those waters. In fact, the Endurance22 expedition's exploration director, Mensun Bound, told The New York Times that the shipwreck is the finest example he's ever seen; Endurance is "in a brilliant state of preservation." The expedition has released the first images of the wreck—the first time anyone has laid eyes on Endurance since its sinking a century ago. Bound et al. included shots of the stern (with "ENDURANCE" clearly visible), the rear deck and ship's wheel, and parts of the deck and hull. //

Shackleton's brilliant navigator, Frank Worsley, painstakingly calculated the coordinates for the position where Endurance sank using a sextant and chronometer. He recorded that position in his log book: 68°39'30" south; 52°26'30" west. But there was some question as to the accuracy of the marine chronometers he used to fix longitude, which would have affected the final coordinates. //

The wreck of the Endurance is a historical monument, marked for preservation under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, so nothing was touched and no artifacts were removed. The images and scans that are still being collected will be used in a planned NatGeo documentary (to air this fall), as well as for educational materials and museum exhibits. You can check out NatGeo's short TikTok video announcing the discovery below.