A new National Geographic documentary “Endurance,” will premiere at the London Film Festival on Saturday before being released in UK cinemas from Monday and on Disney+ later in the year.

The documentary includes a 3D digital scan of Sir Ernest Shackleton‘s ship, created from 25,000 high-resolution images taken after the ship was found in 2022. The 3D scan, by Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, reveals amazing details about the ship that sank in 1915 and lies 3,000m down at the bottom of the Weddell Sea. The documentary tells the story of Shackleton’s ill-fated voyage, as well as that of the expedition that discovered the wreck of the Endurance.

The BBC notes that the 3D scan was made using underwater robots that mapped the wreck from every angle, taking thousands of photographs. These were then “stitched” together to create a digital twin.

While footage filmed at this depth can only show parts of Endurance in the gloom, the scan shows the complete 44m long wooden wreck from bow to stern – even recording the grooves carved into the sediment as the ship skidded to a halt on the seafloor.

The model reveals how the ship was crushed by the ice – the masts toppled and parts of the deck in tatters – but the structure itself is largely intact.

The scan also reveals details about the ship and its crew, including plates used by the crew scattered across the ship, plus other visible artifacts such as a boot and a flare gun, which remain on deck despite the ship sitting at a depth of 3,008 meters (1.9 miles or about 9,900 feet) for more than a century.

Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance seen in detailed 3D scan

Thanks to Alaric Bond, David Rye, and Roberta Weisbrod for contributing to this post.