An underwater exploration in the Labrador Sea has unveiled the first images of Quest, the vessel that carried renowned Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton on his last journey. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) utilized a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to capture visuals of the sunken ship, which rests nearly 400 meters below the sea’s surface off the coast of Labrador since 1962.
CBC News was granted exclusive access to the expedition aboard the research ship Atlantis, where the initial images showcased the rear part of Quest entangled in fishing lines. David Mearns, the co-chief scientist for the mission and an experienced shipwreck hunter, expressed concerns over the damage caused by the fishing nets, emphasizing that the wreck might have been better off undisturbed on the ocean floor. The RCGS had pinpointed the location of Quest two years earlier using side-scan sonar technology.
The expedition, the largest ever undertaken by the society, incurred costs amounting to millions of dollars. The RCGS collaborated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, based in Massachusetts, utilizing their vessel and submersible to investigate two shipwrecks in the Labrador Sea. John Geiger, the RCGS CEO and expedition leader, personally descended in the submersible Alvin for the initial dive on the wreck.
Originally acquired by Shackleton for exploration in Northern Canada, Quest was redirected to Antarctic expeditions after the Canadian government declined support. The vessel became Shackleton’s final resting place in 1922 when he succumbed to a heart attack near South Georgia. Following various uses including as a minesweeper during World War II and for seal hunting by a Norwegian company, Quest met its demise in 1962 due to ice crushing its hull off the south coast of Labrador.
Although the wreck lacks visible identification details, research director Antoine Normandin confirmed its identity as Quest based on distinctive features such as specific portholes below the bridge consistent with historical photographs. Despite disappointment over the damage caused by trawling activities, researchers were gratified that crucial historical sections of the wreck remained intact.
The expedition aimed to create a digital replica of the wreck through 3D imaging technology and investigate the 300-meter debris field surrounding it. Subsequent plans include exploring another wreck, Terra Nova, located at the southern tip of Greenland. This vessel, once owned by the Bowring Company of St. John’s, was famously used by Robert Falcon Scott during his ill-fated 1912 South Pole expedition.
