The Discovery of the Wreck of the Endurance
On July 16, Kathy A. Smith released her latest Fascinated by Shipwrecks Podcast where she speaks to Brenden St John, Head of Ocean Science at Voyis Imaging Inc, about the wreck of the Endurance.
Endurance was the three-masted barquentine that Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed to the Antarctic in 1914. The ship became trapped in pack ice and finally sank in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica on November 21, 1915.
The wreck was discovered on March 5, 2022, nearly 107 years later, lying in waters 3,008 meters (9,869ft) deep.
The Technology Behind the Discovery
Earlier this year, Voyis and the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust revealed unprecedented details of the legendary vessel captured using the Voyis Observer Imaging System and True Colour technology.
As red wavelengths are absorbed more rapidly by water than air, the perceived color of underwater objects is significantly altered. Standard cameras do not compensate for this underwater color shift, leaving wreck images often appearing unnaturally blue or green.
Voyis’ True Colour technology leverages machine learning to efficiently train a Colour Correction Model that can correct the distortions, producing images that represent colors as they would be perceived in air.
Insights into the Endurance Project
In the podcast, St John provides insights into the Endurance project and the future of underwater imaging technology. The discovery of the Endurance wreck marks a significant milestone in maritime archaeology, shedding new light on one of the most famous expeditions in history.
The use of advanced imaging technology not only allows us to explore and document underwater wrecks with greater clarity but also opens up new possibilities for research and preservation efforts in the field of marine archaeology.
The story of the Endurance and its discovery serves as a reminder of the enduring spirit of exploration and the relentless pursuit of knowledge that drives humanity to push the boundaries of what is possible.