10 Shocking Facts About Shackleton’s Endurance You Never Knew

1. Over 5,000 people applied to join the expedition—including several women in disguise!
2. The Endurance was built with layered oak and fir, making her one of the strongest wooden ships ever constructed.
3. Morale was kept high with music, skits, and even a makeshift ‘Ritz’ lounge on the ice.
4. Seal and penguin blubber became not just food, but fuel for warmth and survival.
5. The men described the Antarctic night as having a ‘symphony’ of groans, cracks, and mysterious sounds.
6. The James Caird lifeboat crossed 800 miles of the world’s roughest seas—navigated by the stars and rare glimpses of the sun.
7. The crossing of South Georgia Island was done without a map, over unknown mountains and glaciers.
8. It took four rescue attempts before the men on Elephant Island were finally saved.
9. Not a single life was lost, despite nearly two years in the Antarctic wilderness.
10. The Endurance shipwreck was finally discovered over a century later, perfectly preserved.

These facts prove that the Endurance story is even more incredible than you thought. Which surprised you most? 1 2