Renewed quest to find Shackleton's lost Endurance ship

The Endurance vessel, which was lost on Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated expedition in 1914-17, lies at the bottom of the Weddell Sea.

Many have thought about trying to identify its resting place; a few have even had a go. But sea-ice cover in the region makes navigation very tricky.

If the group succeeds in finding Endurance, they'll map it and photograph it, but they won't retrieve any artefacts.

Shackleton's ship is a site of historic importance and has been designated as a monument under the international Antarctic Treaty. It mustn't be disturbed in any way.

"This ship has become an icon," said Dr Shears. "Shackleton's epic story of survival strikes a chord right across the ages. And of the shipwrecks out there, it is the most famous one still left to be discovered and also the most difficult to locate.

"If we can identify it, we'll inspect it, and make a detailed 3D scan of it using lasers. And we hope to broadcast all of this at the time," he told BBC News.

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