4. HMS Erebus from Franklin Expedition
In 2014, Parks Canada located HMS Erebus in Arctic waters near King William Island. After 170 years under ice, the ship’s wooden hull and cargo lay remarkably intact beneath 11 meters of water, finally solving the long-standing mystery of Franklin’s lost Northwest Passage expedition. Parks Canada. Underwater dives brought up personal items, navigational instruments, and human remains, illuminating 19th-century naval life and the brutal conditions explorers faced. Study of Erebus’s remains has refined our understanding of period ship design and survival strategies in polar environments.
