The Royal Canadian Geographic Society is on site in the Labrador Sea – exploring the wreck of The Quest, discovered off the coast of Labrador in 2024.
The Quest
The Quest, a ship on which famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton had attempted his last expedition to the Antarctic, sank to the bottom in 1962 after getting trapped in sea ice off the southwest coast of Labrador between Port Hope Simpson and Black Tickle.
Research Director Antoine Normandin says they’re currently mapping the wreck to get a better understanding of its condition.
“We’re using a combination of robots…mapping the wreck through and through, as well as the Alvin submersible to dive to the wreck to get a better sense of its condition and its state and the marine wildlife that’s developed around the wreck.”
He says key features on the wreck, which he describes as being in “rough shape,” have allowed them to positively identify it.
Wildlife found at the wreck of the Quest (Photo credit: Rosemary Thompson and Voyis)
He calls it “a booming wildlife habitat that we did not expect. Unfortunately, we’re seeing quite a bit of fishing nets around the stern of the ship. But it tells a more complete story about the history of fishing within the area…so we’ve decided to include within in the digital” images they produce.
The Alvin submersible in the Labrador Sea (Photo credit: Martin Hartley, Canadian Goegraphic)
