The ship that sank in the Antarctic on Nov. 21, 1915, spurring explorer Ernest Shackleton to lead his men on an epic journey of survival, has been found, under the Weddell Sea, at a depth of nearly 10,000 feet.

The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust announced the discovery of the sunken 144-foot-long ship, adding that the Antarctic Treaty designated the Endurance as a historic site, protected from harm. Leading the expedition, known as Endurance 22, was geographer John Shears.

Shackleton wanted to lead a group of hardy souls on the first land crossing of the frozen southern continent, from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea, taking in the South Pole along the way. They never made it.

Thick ice trapped the Endurance, forcing Shackleton and his crew of 28 to leave the ship behind, surviving through a combination of living in ice floes and sailing in small lifeboats. The first step was to reach Elephant Island, which was uninhabited. They did so, then Shackleton made the difficult decision to leave most of his crew behind, sailing off with a small crew of five in a lifeboat, bound for South Georgia, 800 miles away. They survived harrowing conditions at sea and met their goal, landing in South Georgia, only to have to cross the mountains on the island in order to reach a whaling station at Stromness. Shackleton then led a rescue expedition for the rest of his original grew, all of whom were still alive when he arrived.