Adventurers who are fans of maritime history may enjoy the idea of taking an expedition to see the site of two famous sunken ships in Canada.
The first public visit to The Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site will take place. Image: Michelle Valberg
Adventure Canada, in an exclusive partnership with Parks Canada, will be guiding the first public visit to ‘The Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site,’ as part of its Northwest Passage expeditions in 2019. In 1845, explorer Sir John Franklin set sail from England with the two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, but the ships and 129 crew on board were last seen by Inuit on King William Island. Their mysterious disappearance prompted a search that continued unsuccessfully for nearly 170 years. In September 2014, an expedition led by Parks Canada discovered the wreck of HMS Erebus in Nunavut, and the wreck of HMS Terror was located two years later 100km away.
An expedition will take vistors to see the site of two famous sunken ships in Canada.Image: Bert Jenkins
The Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site is the first national historic site to be co-managed by the Inuit and Parks Canada, and public access has not been possible up to now. While Adventure Canada secured partnerships in 2017 and 2018 to bring guests to the Erebus site for the first time, extreme weather and ice barrier made the expeditions too challenging to accomplish. Those who embark on the forthcoming expeditions will travel on the Ocean Endeavour ship, and will also be able to meet several of the Gjoa Haven Guardians. who are charged with monitoring the wreck sites. Weather-permitting, these guests may become some of the first members of the general public to see the Erebus wreck, through an underwater remote-controlled camera.
The expedition will take place aboard the Ocean Endeavour ship. Image: Adventure Canada
Adventure Canada will make its first attempt to visit the Erebus site on the “Into the Northwest Passage” trip from 17 August to 2 September, and its second will take place upon its “Out of the Northwest Passage” trip, which takes place from 2 to 18 September.
For more information on these trips, please see Adventure Canada’s website here.
The post Take an expedition to see the site of famous sunken ships in Canada’s Arctic appeared first on Lonely Planet Travel News.