Earnest Shackleton and his close friends
Picture Taken Aboard the “Nimrod” in one of the many earlier explorations of the South Pole. From Left; Frank Wild (Second in Command Aboard “Endurance”), Earnest Shackleton (First In Command Aboard Endurance), Eric Marshal (Not Aboard the Endurance), Jameson Adams (Also Not aboard the Endurance)

The story of Earnest Shackleton, his 27 men, and the almost 2 year journey they had to endure in Antarctica is truly the most amazing maritime story ever told. Incredible real life footage can be credited to the on board cameraman Frank Hurley, from Australia.

Take 30 minutes to watch this 3-part story, as Kevin Spacey narrates this exciting tale through moments of terror and joy. Be sure to watch how it ends, because despite all odds this story provides a seemingly impossible happy ending.

PART 1: The story of the wooden, ice-breaking ship, the “Endurance” and the 400 plus days spent floating on pack ice at “Camp Patience”.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55nyP07Ai8&w=420&h=315]

PART 2: The voyage north for 28 men on three life boats, hardly capable of the journey, and their first sight of land in over one year, Elephant Island. Then Shackleton launches an incomprehensible plan to voyage out with six men, in order to save the crew that is stranded on Elephant Island, to South Georgia Island. This was done by modifying the finest of the life boats with any and all, still available, resources in order to endure an 800-nautical mile journey. The crew of six could now begin to sail north through one of our planet’s most vicious bodies of water, the Southern Ocean.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhuVDH9s-H0&w=420&h=315]

PART 3: Finally, the James Caird a 23’6″ lifeboat, named after one of the big investors of the exploration, brought the six men, on a rescue mission, to the southern shores of South Georgia Island. As if they weren’t at their wits end, the men had to journey some 30-miles north on foot. This rocky, barren, and icy terrain was their last hurdle to overcome on their mission of finding help.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDnGENgiF9k&w=420&h=315]

Shackleton’s determination for the rescue of his men never ceased. After four months, it seemed as though the survivors stranded on Elephant Island would have given up all hope of a rescue. However, they ALL were rescued and ALL survived.

Incredible!

The James Caird, Preserved at Dulwich College, U.K.
The James Caird, Preserved at Dulwich College, U.K.
The Final Resting Place of Shackleton, South Georgia Island 1922.
The Final Resting Place of Shackleton, South Georgia Island.

What ever happened to the dogs?

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