Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Tuesday, September 9, that one of two missing British explorer ships had been found. They disappeared in the Arctic in 1846, and it's not clear which ship has been found. This side-scan sonar image of a ship on the sea floor in northern Canada was released by Parks Canada.
The mystery of the missing ship —
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Tuesday, September 9, that one of two missing British explorer ships had been found. They disappeared in the Arctic in 1846, and it's not clear which ship has been found. This side-scan sonar image of a ship on the sea floor in northern Canada was released by Parks Canada.
Parks Canada/The Canadian Press/AP
This iron fitting held by John Geiger, president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, is a key piece of evidence that led to the discovery of the missing ship.
The mystery of the missing ship —
This iron fitting held by John Geiger, president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, is a key piece of evidence that led to the discovery of the missing ship.
Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press/AP
A crew member of the HMCS Kingston loads an remote underwater vehicle, part of the Victoria Strait Expedition, as seen in an August 24 photo.
The mystery of the missing ship —
A crew member of the HMCS Kingston loads an remote underwater vehicle, part of the Victoria Strait Expedition, as seen in an August 24 photo.
Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press/AP
Reminders of early, ill-fated expeditions to traverse the Northwest Passage can still be found on the islands of the high Arctic. This replica sign commemorates a man who perished during Franklin's expedition.
The mystery of the missing ship —
Reminders of early, ill-fated expeditions to traverse the Northwest Passage can still be found on the islands of the high Arctic. This replica sign commemorates a man who perished during Franklin's expedition.
Expedition Voyage Consulting/EYOS Expeditions
This painting by W. Turner Smith depicts the struggle endured by sailors who took part in Franklin's mission.
The mystery of the missing ship —
This painting by W. Turner Smith depicts the struggle endured by sailors who took part in Franklin's mission.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Franklin's was not the first attempt to uncover the Northwest Passage. In the 1820s, William Parry and the HMS Fury mounted an unsuccessful bid.
The mystery of the missing ship —
Franklin's was not the first attempt to uncover the Northwest Passage. In the 1820s, William Parry and the HMS Fury mounted an unsuccessful bid.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Following Franklin's doomed expedition, other UK vessels followed later in the 19th century -- including HMS Alert, seen here, which formed half of the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBritish_Arctic_Expedition" target="_blank" target="_blank">"British Arctic Expedition"</a> in the mid-1870s.
The mystery of the missing ship —
Following Franklin's doomed expedition, other UK vessels followed later in the 19th century -- including HMS Alert, seen here, which formed half of the "British Arctic Expedition" in the mid-1870s.
London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first leader of a successful expedition through the Northwest Passage, taking three years to complete his voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1903-06.
The mystery of the missing ship —
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first leader of a successful expedition through the Northwest Passage, taking three years to complete his voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1903-06.
General Photographic Agency/Getty Images
Amundsen later tried his hand at the Northeast Passage -- now known as the Northern Sea Route -- along the Russian Arctic coast.
The mystery of the missing ship —
Amundsen later tried his hand at the Northeast Passage -- now known as the Northern Sea Route -- along the Russian Arctic coast.
Topical Press Agency/Getty Images
The mystery of the missing ship

Story highlights

British sailor John Franklin hoped to sail the Northwest Passage in the 1840s

Franklin and his crew perished in the Canadian Arctic

The Canadian government said one of the two missing ships has been found

CNN  — 

One of the most famous tragedies of the Northwest Passage sea route around the top of North America might have finally been solved.

British sailor John Franklin left England with two ships in 1845 in an ill-fated attempt to sail the Northwest Passage. Stuck in the ice of the Canadian Arctic, all 129 crew members perished in 1846.

Modern explorers have succeeded where Franklin failed, but Canadians never stopped hoping they would find the lost ships of the Franklin Expedition.

On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that one of the two ships was found.

Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
google maps

“I am delighted to announce that this year’s Victoria Strait Expedition has solved one of Canada’s greatest mysteries, with the discovery of one of the two ships belonging to the Franklin Expedition lost in 1846,” he said in a statement.

Whether the vessel is Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Erebus or HMS Terror isn’t yet clear, Harper said. “We do have enough information to confirm its authenticity.”

The finding was confirmed on Sunday, September 7, using a Parks Canada remotely-operated underwater vehicle.

“This is truly a historic moment for Canada,” he said. “Franklin’s ships are an important part of Canadian history given that his expeditions, which took place nearly 200 years ago, laid the foundations of Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.”

Since 2008, there have been six major Parks Canada-led searches for the lost Franklin Expedition ships, Harper said.

The race to sail the Northwest Passage heats up