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