Visitors to Discovery Point will get the chance to be up close to a remarkably detailed 3D model of the Endurance shipwreck this summer, thanks to a collaboration between the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT) and Dundee Heritage Trust (DHT).
One of the most accurate representations of a deep-ocean heritage site to ever be produced, the 3D model will be on show at the home of RRS Discovery from 30th April to November 2026, offering an unprecedented opportunity to explore the wreck up close for the very first time; revealing details down to the grain of the timbers and the scattered artefacts on the seabed.
The loan of the model from FMHT to DHT brings the first public showcase of the model in Scotland, at one of the country’s most significant centres for polar and maritime history. Admission to see the model display is included in standard Discovery Point entry tickets.
The model will be unveiled on 30th April 2026 alongside a special talk by Mensun Bound - one of the world’s leading maritime archaeologists and Director of Exploration on the two expeditions to find Endurance - giving insight into both Shackleton’s extraordinary expedition and the modern mission that rediscovered the wreck in 2022. The talk will take place at Discovery Point at 6:00pm on 30th April. Tickets to the talk cost £15pp, as a fundraiser for the ongoing conservation of RRS Discovery, and must be pre-booked through DHT’s website, with early booking advised.
Lost beneath Antarctic ice for more than a century, the wreck of Endurance was discovered in 2022 during the Endurance22 expedition, led by FMHT. Located more than 3,000 metres below the surface of the Weddell Sea, the site remains one of the most remote and protected heritage locations on Earth.
Because the wreck is safeguarded under the Antarctic Treaty System and a strict Conservation Plan, it must remain undisturbed. Instead, the Endurance22 team used pioneering non-invasive archaeological techniques to record the wreck in extraordinary detail, capturing over 25,000 high-resolution images alongside laser and sonar data to create a scientifically precise digital twin of the site.
This 3D printed model of the wreck translates that data into physical form. Produced at a scale of 1:29.3 using PLA (polylactide) and requiring approximately 350 hours to print, it represents one of the most accurate physical recreations of a deep-ocean heritage site ever produced.
The model will be on display alongside Shackleton’s memorial cross, the Hope Cross - overlooking the Discovery, the first ship to transport Shackleton to Antarctica. A major conservation project is currently underway on the ship to preserve it for future generations.
Elena Lewendon, Chief Operating Officer at FHMT said, “For me, this model is where exploration and technology truly meet. It takes millions of data points and turns them into something people can stand in front of and connect with. It’s about making the story of Endurance tangible and sharing that sense of discovery with everyone.”
Mensun Bound said, “The so-called ‘unreachable’ Endurance was situated in one of the most remote and hostile spots on the planet, a place that Shackleton himself called the worst portion of the worst sea on earth. Yet today, we can stand in a museum and look at it in extraordinary detail. This model is not an interpretation; it is a faithful, data-driven representation of the wreck exactly as it lies on the seabed. It allows people to connect, in a very real way, with both Shackleton’s story and the moment of discovery in 2022. That, for me, is the real power of this project.”
Emma Halford-Forbes, Heritage Director at DHT said, “We’re excited to host the Endurance wreck model at Discovery Point this summer. It's with great pride that we can say that Discovery took Shackleton to Antarctica for the first time. And we have his memorial cross on display, from his final voyage to the continent. Weaving the Endurance story into Shackleton's narrative gives us an opportunity to illustrate the impact he had on exploration and leadership, impacting generations to come.”
Dundee Industrial Heritage Limited
Dundee Heritage Trust and its operating company Dundee Industrial Heritage Limited are both registered charities formed in 1985 to preserve and interpret Dundee’s industrial past. As well as the Royal Research Ship Discovery, Dundee Heritage Trust has responsibility for Discovery Point Antarctic Museum and Verdant Works, one of the nation’s most important textile museums.
