(CNN) –– A new 3D scan has revealed never-before-seen details of the wreck of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton’s HMS Endurance, which was discovered in 2022, more than a century after the ship sank.
Footage seen by CNN on Thursday shows the ship, which sank in 1915 due to sea ice, miraculously pulled from the Weddell Sea in one piece onto dry land.
Despite the ship being at a depth of 3,008 meters, apart from other visible artefacts such as the boot and flare gun on deck, the plates used by the crew can be seen scattered throughout the ship.
The 3D footage was released as part of a new documentary called “Endurance,” which made its premiere at the London Film Festival on Saturday and will be released in UK cinemas from Monday and on Disney+ later in the year.
This National Geographic Documentary Films film was directed by Tsai Vasarheli, Jimmy Chin and Natalie Hewitt.
The production tells the story of Shackleton’s ill-fated voyage and the expedition that discovers the remains of the Endurance in 2022.
The latest expedition was funded by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT), which celebrated the release of the documentary in a statement last month.
“In addition to locating, examining and filming the wreck, our goal was to pass on the stories of Shackleton and his ship to new generations,” FMHT president Donald Lamont said in a statement.
“They are stories of courage and determination that we hope will inspire people around the world to develop leadership qualities and persevere in the face of adversity.”
Before the Endurance voyage, Shackleton established himself as a polar explorer after a career in the merchant marine. Health problems forced him to abandon an Antarctic expedition in 1906, but in 1908 he led another successful southern expedition. His exploits earned him a knighthood and he became Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1909.
Shackleton’s recent Antarctic mission began with high ambitions. Recruiting 27 men, he hoped to lead some of them on the first complete crossing of Antarctica, a few years after Norwegian Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole.
However, the Endurance became trapped in sea ice and eventually succumbed to the immense pressures of the frozen terrain and sank.
Shackleton then demonstrated his legendary qualities as a leader by leading a small group through stormy seas to South Georgia, where they requested assistance in rescuing the 22 men left stranded on the ice.
None of the crew members died, cementing Shackleton’s place in the history books.
–– CNN’s Barry Nield and Lilith Marcus contributed to this report.
