Amazing new footage has emerged from a shipwreck frozen for more than 170 years in the arctic waters of northern Canada.
The HMS Terror, together with the HMS Erebus, were part of John Franklin’s expedition to find a navigable path through the Northwest Passage in 1845. The ships became stuck in sea ice off King William Island, and all 129 eventually perished while attempting to walk to safety. It was the worst disaster in the long history of polar exploration.
The fate of the expedition remained a mystery until controversial Scottish explorer, John Rae, together with two indigenous companions uncovered their demise in 1854.
The Erebus was found in 11m of water in 2014. while the Terror turned up two years later, 24m down in aptly named Terror Bay.
Researchers have released new images of the remarkably well-preserved Terror that will shed new light on the fate of the expedition. The wreck has effectively been “frozen in time”, thanks to the cold, deep waters and a layer of silt which has preserved many artifacts.
A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) gathered photos and video footage from 20 cabins and compartments on the ship, described by Parks Canada as “one of the largest, most complex underwater archaeological undertakings in Canadian history.”
