Ernest Shackleton was a British explorer who’s known for exploring Antarctica. His third expedition began in 1914 and was intended to be the first time a group of men crossed the Antarctic continent, through the south pole, on foot. Their plans included two ships, one called the Endurancewhich carried Shackleton and the explorers who were to trek across land, and a second called the Aurora, which would lay supply depots down for the traveling men in advance of their arrival.
Soon after the Endurancebegan to navigate the southern seas, the boat got lodged in ice. The crew was forced to wait nine months for spring to arrive and thaw the ice but when the ice began to melt the changing application of force caused the ship’s hull to crack. Water began to enter the ship and within a month the ship had sunk. Five months after the ship sank below the water’s surface the large block of ice the stranded party were camped on split into two and the men were forced to navigate to nearby Elephant Island.
Once on Elephant Island Shackleton knew there was little chance of rescue. The only way his men would survive would be for him to take one of the lifeboats on a month long journey to the whaling stations on South Georgia Island. They made the journey to land in less than a month but the whaling stations were on the other side of the island. Instead of risking more time on the water, Shackleton and two other men traveled over dangerous mountain terrain for 36 hours and when they got to the whaling station were able to rescue the rest of the expedition still stranded on Elephant Island.
