An international expedition has captured the first detailed 3D images of the wreck of Terra Nova, the final ship of British Antarctic explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott, using advanced Canadian underwater imaging technology.
The wreck, lying around 10 nautical miles off the southern tip of Greenland, was surveyed by the 2026 Heroic Age Expedition, led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The mission used WHOI’s Falcon remotely operated vehicle (ROV), equipped with Canadian-made Voyis 3D photogrammetry systems, alongside the crewed deep-sea submersible Alvin.
The expedition marks the first comprehensive visual survey of Terra Nova, a ship synonymous with one of the most famous and tragic chapters in the history of Antarctic exploration.
Built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1884, Terra Nova transported Scott and his team during the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910. Although Scott reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, he discovered Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had arrived 34 days earlier. Scott and the four members of his polar party died during the return journey, with journals later recovered documenting their final struggle for survival. The ship subsequently carried news of the expedition’s fate back to Britain before returning to service in the Newfoundland sealing industry.
The expedition’s leader, John Geiger, Chief Executive of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, was among the first to observe the wreck in person this week.
“Seeing Terra Nova, a ship so closely linked to the tragic deaths of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his polar party, as well as to Canadian and Newfoundland history, brings these important stories to a new generation,” Geiger said. “Through cutting-edge Canadian Voyis 3D imaging technology, it is now possible to recreate the wrecks of Terra Nova and Quest before these historic ships are lost to the seabed.”
The survey follows the team’s successful documentation of Quest, the final vessel of Sir Ernest Shackleton, completed earlier this month.
Despite more than 80 years on the seabed, researchers reported that Terra Nova remains remarkably well preserved. While the bow has begun to split apart, much of the wooden hull remains intact. The expedition documented key features including the rudder, propeller, double helm and sections of the engine room.
David Mearns, co-chief scientist for the expedition and one of the world’s leading shipwreck explorers, described the dive as exceptional.
“It was a 10 out of 10,” Mearns said. “Superb conditions, excellent visibility and the ship is fantastic.”
WHOI co-chief scientist Dwight Coleman said the combination of the Falcon ROV and Voyis imaging systems is creating a permanent digital record of historically significant shipwrecks.
“Quest and Terra Nova will eventually disappear into the seafloor, but these high-definition records will always exist,” Coleman said.
Originally purchased by the Bowring family of St John’s, Newfoundland, in 1898 for the sealing industry, Terra Nova later served as a relief ship during Scott’s first Antarctic expedition aboard Discovery before being reacquired by the Royal Navy for Scott’s second voyage south.
During the Second World War, the United States military chartered the vessel to transport supplies to Greenland. After suffering severe ice damage in September 1943, the crew was evacuated and the U.S. Coast Guard deliberately sank the ship to remove it as a navigational hazard.
The latest expedition also highlights advances in deep-ocean exploration. Veteran Alvin pilot Bruce Strickrott noted that while Scott and Shackleton explored some of the world’s last uncharted continents, today’s explorers continue to discover previously unseen parts of the ocean floor.
The team will spend a further day mapping the wreck using Voyis underwater photogrammetry technology to create a complete digital twin of the site for future scientific research and public engagement.
The Heroic Age Expedition is expected to return to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on 21 July, weather permitting.
Alongside marine archaeologists, historians and scientists from Canada, the United States and Europe, the expedition is also using AI-powered wearable technology donated by Meta to document the mission, providing expedition members with a hands-free way to capture and share their work in one of the world’s most challenging environments.
Sources : Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
