The windswept shores are now a telltale measure of climate-induced glacial melt
The shores of Elephant Island — in the middle of the photo, just obstructed by the small, dark island is the shoreline that once was the home for the men of the Endurance. Just to the right is the edge of the impressive glacier that sits by where the men camped.
Antarctica’s Elephant Island is a bleak emblem of how climate change can erode history. Its remote north shore is forever intertwined with the indomitable saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition of 1916. After losing their ship, the Endurance, to the encroaching ice of the Weddell Sea, Shackleton and his crew found themselves stranded on this inhospitable outpost. It became their temporary refuge, a stark and windswept sanctuary where endurance and camaraderie prevailed against the face of extraordinary adversity.
Today, gazing upon those same shores, one can’t help but feel a poignant connection to the past — where the echoes of Shackleton’s expedition still linger but are now intertwined with the complex and ongoing story of our planet’s changing climate. The story of the Shackleton epic expedition’s struggle is no longer just a historical testament to human survival but also a living connection to a new fight for human survival — the rapidly evolving global climate challenge.
As temperatures rise, ice melts, and glaciers recede, the very contours of Elephant Island are undergoing a subtle but profound transformation.
Rapid melt
Climate change has altered this view so that modern-day visitors will never gaze upon the world as Shackleton and his men did. As temperatures rise, ice melts, and glaciers recede, the very contours of Elephant Island are undergoing a subtle but profound transformation. In a 2011 photo of the glacier beside the shore where Shackleton’s men camped, one sees an impressive wall of ice and snow arching over choppy water. The change between this photo and that of the same place in 2023 is subtle, but it is clear: The vast ice wall has shrunk, revealing more of the rocky island that lies below.
2011
Photo courtesy of Julia Benson
2023
Photo courtesy of Julia Benson
Accelerating glacial retreat
Observers of the glacier over many years remark that it had receded at least 100 meters in the past 10 years. This is faster than has been recorded historically but, sadly is now typical for glaciers in this area. As the Earth’s climate warms, the overall air and ocean temperatures increase, melting glaciers faster than they can accumulate new ice. Higher temperatures also contribute to the thinning of glaciers, as the warmer conditions increase melting at their surfaces and, in some cases, the glacier’s base due to warmer waters.
Lost in history
The Launching of the James Caird from Elephant Island, 1914. Source: DHT Collections
Where Elephant Island was once seen as a crucible of Shackleton’s endurance and resilience, it is now a jarring symbol of the relentless forces of climate change.
Elephant Island is a poignant reminder that the footprint of climate change extends beyond the present but also erodes the remnants of history. After taking shelter on Elephant Island for just a week, Shackleton realized that rescue was imperative for the survival of his crew. Leaving 22 of the 28 men behind, Shackleton and a small crew set out on a perilous 800-mile journey to South Georgia in an open lifeboat, the James Caird. Miraculously, after trekking across the island’s rugged interior, they reached the Stromness whaling station and secured the relief of the remaining crew. Remarkably, every member of the Endurance expedition survived, a testament to Shackleton’s exceptional leadership and determination against the harshest conditions nature could muster.
From a crucible of endurance to a new climate symbol
As the ice of Elephant Islands melts, it’s now harder than ever to connect to the extraordinary tale of Shackleton and his men. Much of the setting that birthed this grand historical narrative is now lost. “The tangible connections to history are now being erased by climate change,” says Seb Coulthard, the renowned Shackleton expert and polar guide.
Where Elephant Island was once seen as a crucible of Shackleton’s endurance and resilience, it is now a jarring symbol of the relentless forces of climate change. Today, its increasingly visible rocky and windswept shores barely echo the epic survival but are now a telltale measure of climate-induced glacial melt as its once formidable sheets of ice melt away.
Yet, amidst these alterations, the essence of Elephant Island endures — a stark testament to humanity’s dogged determination to explore, conquer, and survive the planet it lives on. Only now, it has also begun to reveal evidence of humankind’s greatest struggle yet: to survive the effects of its own success.
Featured photo courtesy of Grace Cordsen
