In the final part of our three-part series on Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance expedition, we pick up the story on Elephant Island.
After months trapped in the ice, the men have finally reached land. But they are still hundreds of miles from help, winter is closing in, and no one in the outside world knows where they are.
Major Episode Chapters
01:36 Life on Elephant Island
05:50 Shackleton Choosing South Georgia Island for Rescue
07:24 Shackleton Picks his Boat Crew to Cross Drake Passage in the James Caird
18:56 Into the Drake Passage - Can the James Caird Survive
39:06 Shackleton Lands on South Georgia 522 days after Leaving
44:28 Into the Unknown as Shackleton Crosses South Georgia Island
53:25 Shackleton, Crean & Worsley Whaling Station Reunion
01:00:21 Shackleton Rescues the Crew of Endurance
Shackleton knows they cannot simply sit and wait.
His plan is almost unbelievable.
He and five men will climb into the James Caird, a 22-foot lifeboat, and attempt to sail roughly 800 miles across some of the most dangerous ocean on earth to South Georgia Island.
Their target is a tiny speck of land in a massive ocean.
Miss it, and there may be nothing ahead of them for thousands of miles.
Before leaving, the men strengthen the little boat as best they can. They add a makeshift deck, load thousands of pounds of ballast into the bottom, pack several weeks of food, and bring whatever navigation tools Worsley can protect from the sea.
Then they push off.
What follows is one of the greatest small-boat journeys ever made.
For more than two weeks, the six men battle huge waves, freezing temperatures, soaked clothing, rotting sleeping bags, saltwater boils, frostbite, hunger, thirst, and exhaustion.
At one point, the James Caird becomes covered in ice and begins riding dangerously low in the water. Another time, a massive rogue wave nearly ends the entire journey in seconds.
Through it all, Frank Worsley searches for tiny breaks in the clouds so he can take readings with his sextant and somehow guide them toward South Georgia.
Then, after hundreds of miles at sea, they finally see land.
But reaching South Georgia does not mean the journey is over.
They land on the wrong side of the island.
Between them and the whaling stations are nearly 30 miles of mountains, glaciers, snowfields, and terrain that had never been crossed before.
So Shackleton, Worsley, and Tom Crean set off again.
With almost no climbing equipment, nails driven through the bottoms of their boots for traction, and only a small amount of food, the three men cross the unknown interior of South Georgia.
After more than a day without sleep, they finally hear something they have not heard in 17 months.
A factory whistle.
Civilization.
But even then, Shackleton's work is not finished.
Twenty-two men are still waiting on Elephant Island.
For months, Shackleton repeatedly attempts to fight his way back through the ice to reach them. Meanwhile, Frank Wild keeps the men going with the same words each morning:
“Lash up and stow, boys. The boss may come today.”
And eventually, he does.
When the Endurance sailed south, 28 men were aboard.
All 28 came home.
This episode brings us to the end of one of the greatest stories of survival, leadership, friendship, and endurance ever recorded.
Our main source for this series is Alfred Lansing's incredible book, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.
As always, any Amazon affiliate proceeds from books linked in the show notes are donated to help support children's literacy.
By endurance we conquer.
Deeply Driven Books (Amazon Affiliate) - 100% of commissions will be donated to help support Children’s Literacy!
Ernest Shackleton – Part 1
Ernest Shackleton – Part 2
