History Hit and media network Little Dot Studios are the exclusive media partners of a new expedition to find, film and document one of the last great lost shipwrecks of history: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance.
The expedition, which marks the centenary of the death of the legendary explorer, will be the most ambitious broadcasting project ever undertaken from the ice of the Weddell Sea. It will set off from Cape Town in February to Antarctica, where the wreck of the Endurance has remained for over a century, lying at a depth of approximately 3500m in ice-cold seas. The expedition has been organised by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust.
Onboard the South African icebreaker Agulhas II will be a crew of scientists and archaeologists alongside a team of highly experienced extreme environment filmmakers, led by History Hit Co-Founder and Creative Director Dan Snow, who will document events in real time.
South African icebreaking polar supply and research ship S. A. Agulhas II – which will be used during the Endurance 22 Expedition – anchored in King Edward Cove, South Georgia.
Image Credit: George Gittins / Alamy Stock Photo
Dan Snow said, “From the day I started History Hit, I knew this day would come. The hunt for Shackleton’s wreck will be the biggest story in the world of history in 2022. As the partner broadcaster we will be able to reach tens of millions of history fans all over the world, in real time. We are able to deploy some of the world’s biggest history podcasts, YouTube channels, Facebook pages and TikTok accounts to reach a massive number of history lovers. We are going to tell the story of Shackleton, and this expedition to find his lost ship, like never before. Live streaming and podcasting from ice camps, recording a vast amount of content that will live online and be accessible for generations to come. It’s a dream come true.”
Dan Snow announced the expedition this week whilst standing on the deck of Shackleton’s first Antarctic ship — the RRS Discovery, now based in Dundee.
Ernest Shackleton’s first Antarctic ship, the RSS Discovery, in Dundee, Scotland.
Image Credit: Dan Snow
History Hit and Little Dot Studios will produce a range of content covering the setting up of the expedition, the voyage and search itself, as well as the history, science, and other themes that connect to the wider mission.
The content will be distributed to millions of subscribers across History Hit TV, HistoryHit.com, and History Hit’s podcast network and social channels, together with Little Dot Studios’ network of owned and operated digital and social media accounts, including Timeline World History, Spark and Real Stories.
Endurance left South Georgia for Antarctica on 5 December 1914, carrying 27 men with the goal of reaching the South Pole and ultimately crossing the continent. However, when nearing Antarctica the ship became trapped in pack ice and the crew were forced to spend the winter in the frozen landscape. Read more about their epic journey and one of history’s greatest stories here.
The crew of Shackleton’s Endurance play football on the ice of the Weddell Sea, with the trapped vessel in the background.
Image Credit: Royal Geographical Society / Alamy Stock Photo
