SA Agulhas II. (Department of Environment Forestry and Fisheries)
The SA Agulhas II spends most of its time resupplying South Africa’s research stations in the Antarctic. With a reinforced hull to crush ice, a crane for putting supplies on top of ice packs, and an epic range, it was built to tackle the world’s harshest seas.
Now, the Agulhas is on its way south to find the Endurance, which sank in 1915 in one of the most famous maritime disasters of all time. The boat — one of the strongest wooden ships ever built — carried 28 crew on their way to cross the Antarctic on foot. But then it got stuck in ice and, eight months later, the ice crushed it.
Endurance will be scanned in 3D and then left alone as it is a designated monument if found.(Ernest Shakleton/Getty Images)
The crew would eventually all escape. They took with them the coordinates of the sinking, as well as photographs of the Endurance vanishing underwater.
Agulhas was above the coordinates in 2019 before it lost contact with the remote submarine it had sent out to find Endurance. This 2022 expedition has a better submarine, as well as helicopters to build a base on the ice so scientists can drill a hole down to launch the submarine if Agulhas becomes surrounded by ice.
If Endurance is found, it will be scanned in 3D and then left alone as it is a designated monument. Scientists on board Agulhas will also do research on the impact of climate change and other pollution in that part of the Antarctic.
This article first appeared in The Continent, the award-winning pan-African weekly newspaper designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp. Download your free copy here.