First Close-Up Images of Shackleton's Quest Reveal Ghost Gear and Marine Life

For the first time, a team from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has captured detailed photographs of the wreck of Ernest Shackleton's last ship, Quest. The vessel, which rests 1,280 feet deep in the Labrador Sea off Canada’s northeast coast, was documented using WHOI's Falcon remotely operated vehicle and the manned submersible Alvin. After sinking in 1962 due to sea ice damage, Quest's 45-year history included Arctic explorations, WWII explosive clearance, and seal hunting. While the wreck remains largely intact, it is now covered in discarded fishing gear—ghost gear—despite the area's fishing ban since 2002. Beneath the nets thrives a vibrant ecosystem of pink soft corals, anemones, redfish, Atlantic cod, and spotted wolffish. Expedition leader John Geiger expressed the emotional impact of seeing the bow emerge from the depths, while co-chief scientist David Mearns highlighted the long-lasting effects of the gear on the seabed. Researchers aim to develop a 3D digital model from thousands of overlapping images, similar to their previous work on Shackleton's other wreck, Endurance, found in 2022.