In brief
The Terra Nova, the legendary polar vessel that carried Captain Scott on his doomed Antarctic expedition, has been filmed on the ocean floor for the first time, showcasing how it has become a home for marine life. This footage celebrates the ship's historical significance while emphasizing the tragic tale of the explorers who lost their lives in 1912. The wreck, discovered in 2012, lies off Greenland at a depth of 170 meters and has transformed into an artificial reef, intertwined with corals and fish, highlighting the ship's dual legacy.
One of the most famous polar shipwrecks has been filmed in detail on the sea floor for the first time. The Terra Nova carried Captain Scott and his men on their doomed expedition to reach the South Pole more than a century ago.
The British party lost the race to the pole, and died on their return journey in 1912. The footage shows the Terra Nova colonised with sea life, but key features of the wooden ship are still visible including its wheel, winch and mast.
The wreck lies 170m down off the coast of Greenland. After the polar expedition with Scott, the ship continued in service and eventually sank in 1943 while carrying supplies to US bases during World War Two.
The Terra Nova was discovered in 2012, but the new expedition has been the first opportunity to record extensive footage of the wreck. To be able to see these significant parts of the wreck, it was truly awe inspiring, said Leighton Rolley, Science Systems Manager at REV Ocean. The wheel was sitting there perfectly intact among the debris of the aft section of the wreck. When you think of the people who have stood there, manoeuvred the Terra Nova through ice, like Captain Scott… If that ship's wheel could talk, it could tell an amazing history.
The Terra Nova was one of the finest polar vessels of its time and sailed for 60 years. The ship was 57m (187ft) long with a wooden hull that was a metre thick in places to help it break through the sea ice.
Captain Scott's men embarked to Antarctica in 1910. A comprehensive scientific programme was planned for the Terra Nova expedition - along with the goal of being the first to reach the South Pole. Scott, along with Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans, were attempting to make history.
After trekking hundreds of miles, the British party reached the pole in January 1912, but they found they had been beaten by a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen. A black flag, planted by Amundsen, is now on display at the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) in Cambridge along with other items from the Terra Nova.
The Terra Nova played a crucial role in breaking the news of their death. In January 1913, the Terra Nova arrived at Cape Evans in Antarctica to pick up the shore party and found out the sad news that Captain Scott and his pole party had perished from exposure and want.
The vessel sailed on to New Zealand, where the tragic end of the Terra Nova expedition was announced to the world.
The ship now has a very different existence lying beneath the waves, interacting with marine life. It's not in good condition, but it's full of fish, and corals have begun to grow on it, transforming it into a reef, ultimately becoming one with the ocean.
