SA AGULHAS

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Research vessel will look out for lost polar exploration ship Endurance

In 2019 the "S.A. Agulhas" will start a search for the polar exploration ship "Endurance" which has not been seen since 1915, when it was crushed by sea ice in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea during a failed Trans-Antarctic crossing by Ernest Shackleton. A team of scientists will attempt to locate the wreck when they visit the area to study the Larsen C Ice Shelf, the mega-iceberg that broke off the continent in July 2017. The "S.A. Agulhas II" should reach the area in January or February as part of the Weddell Sea Expedition 2019. But the search for the remains of Endurance will be contingent on if the crew has the time and opportunity to send an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to the right location. They are fitted with downward-looking multi-beam echosounders, which can map out on a grid the shape of the seafloor. The final position of the ship when it sunk Nov 21, 1915 was believed to be about 100 to 150 nautical miles from Larsen C, making the ship an irresistible target. If it is found, it’s likely to be in excellent condition because the Antarctic Circumpolar Current may have kept wood-boring sea worms from damaging the wreck, which, if discovered, will be declared a protected historic monument. It would be surveyed, photographed and filmed it and document its condition. “If there are deep-water marine species colonizing the wreck, the marine biologists may try to obtain scientific samples using the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), if that can be deployed above the site from the ship. However, we will not remove any items from the wreck.

SA Agulhas left Capetown enroute to Bouvet

In 2012, the South African polar vessel SA Agulhas was going to "retire" after 35 years of service. But now she is as busy as ever. The Red Taxi, as she was known to South African polar teams, left Cape Town on a 2500km voyage to Bouvet. On board are a team from the Norwegian Polar Institute, and 62 South African sea cadets, as the ship is now a dedicated training vessel. We want to keep the ship as busy as possible," says capt Okke Grapow, senior specialist for maritime projects at the South African Maritime Safety Authority, the vessel's new owners. Since the ship was taken over by SAMSA, it has been up, and down the African Coast, did a research voyage and went all the way north to London to pic up the Coldest Journey expedition, and all the way south to drop them in Antarctica. – Source : Die Burger

S.A. Agulhas visits London and passes London Bridge

A big ice-breaker ship will be coming up the Thames at around 3pm this afternoon, Mon, Dec.3, 2012 - coming from Canary Wharf and up through Tower Bridge before mooring alongside the HMS Belfast for three days. S.A. Agulhas is the expedition ship for Ranulph Fiennes’ latest and last polar expedition, where he is attempting to become the first person to cross Antarctica during winter. The ship is in London taking on board vital equipment and supplies for the expedition, before she departs with a royal send-off from Prince Charles on Thursday 6 December.