HMS Investigator shipwreck found in Arctic waters

A group of Canadian archaeologists have found the 19th century ship HMS Investigator, which was abandoned by its crew in 1853. The Investigator set out on a search mission to find the missing Sir John Franklin, unfortunately difficult conditions and extreme weather prevailed.

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The ship was trapped in the ice and immobilised. It remained in this state for 3 years (!) before it was decided to leave the ship to its fate. A year after this event, a unit of HMS Resolute arrived in the area to investigate the situation. The ship, still trapped in the ice, was described as being in decent condition, but due to the melt water there was a lot of water inside.

Although the fate of Franklin’s ship remains unknown to this day, the captain of HMS Investigator kept a diary with a detailed record of events, while the ship’s doctor, in 1857, published his own notes on the entire incident. Despite such detailed sources, the location of the wreck remained unknown for over 150 years, mainly due to the fact that it is one of the most inaccessible and inhospitable places on Earth.

This year has been “warm” enough to allow the expedition participants as many as 9 days of continuous diving. The archaeologists were very lucky in their search. Just 15min after starting the sonar scanning of the bottom, in the vicinity of Banks Island and Mercy Bay they found their target. The site where the search began had been previously identified by the British Navy.

“The wreck is in good condition, in fact it is in surprisingly very good condition,” said Marc-Andre Bernier, a member of the expedition.

HMS Investigator has settled on her keel, burrowing quite deep into the bottom. She rests at a depth of about 11m, with the deck already at a depth of 8m.

A team of 6 divers, explored the wreck in water whose temperature rose from -2°C to 2°C thanks to the summer “heat”.

“Diving at this site is something incredible. HMS Investigator, thanks to the conditions underwater, is as if frozen in time. Being able to see it standing proudly on the bottom, with all the artefacts on board, was an unprecedented event. It was one of the highlights of our career.”

A total of 16 items were recovered from beneath the water, including shoes and a musket. The main purpose was to protect them from the destructive influence of the environment and ice, and to subject them to examination to determine their actual state of preservation.

“Due to the shallow depth and in good conditions, it is possible to see the wreck from the surface. Although the vessel has suffered considerable damage, the missing masts of the sides have also been heavily damaged, most likely by ice, we still hope to find many smaller objects from the era. In the very cold water, the objects are not as exposed to time and therefore remain in excellent condition, ” reports Bernier

Archaeologists reveal that there are no plans to raise the vessel. Now using an ROV and sonar, they will gather further documentation, on the condition of the wreck and the impact it has had on the environment. They will also search the area for small artefacts.

Source: bbc.co.uk
Photo: Brett Seymour