The Antarctic Quest 21 expedition commemorates the iconic explorer and leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in the centenary year of his final expedition to the Antarctic.

All discovery starts with first steps and in the case of Antarctica, these were made during the ‘Heroic Age’ of polar exploration in the 19th and 20th century. Many of the expeditions at that time recorded scientific observations and brought back specimens, providing information of an environment unperturbed by human impact. 

Little did the early explores know that they laid the foundations of Antarctic science that has become so crucial for predicting our future in the age of manmade climate change some 200 years later. In that spirit, Antarctic Quest 21 celebrates and continues the legacy of Sir Ernest Shackleton.