Aurora Expeditions has seen an “instant rise in interest and enquiries” for its 2022/23 Antarctica cruises following the discovery of the Endurance, explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship.

The vessel, which was crushed by sea-ice and sank in 1915, was recently found at the bottom of the Weddell Sea.

Aurora is planning to operate a total of six Antarctica itineraries that will explore the Weddell Sea region and separate voyages to South Georgia.

Aurora Expeditions UK MD Jos Dewing said: “We have seen a significant uplift in enquiries and bookings in the UK across our Antarctic season for the forthcoming 2022/23 on our two ships, the Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle, and following [the] astonishing news we fully expect this interest to increase significantly.

“We are already seeing a rise in interest for our expeditions to South Georgia, already a very popular expedition route because of the historical connection to Shackleton, and we fully anticipate that interest to grow for our Wild Antarctic voyages, which include time spent exploring the Weddell Sea region.

“As a result of the incredible clarity of the underwater photography that has been widely shared across the media we have already seen considerable interest across our social media channels with interest coming from across the world.

“This historic discovery will certainly inspire our guests to take advantage of our scuba diving and snorkelling activities on board to feel just a little more connected to the region where the ship has been located.”

Aurora Expeditions expedition team spokesperson Alasdair Magregor added: “It is just astonishing. A hundred years to the day after Shackleton was laid to rest on the island of South Georgia, his ship Endurance is discovered in the depths of the Weddell Sea.

“Protected by the cold and dark for over a century, this remarkable find will now inspire renewed interest in one of the great sagas of human endeavour.”