Quest: Shackleton’s last ship, with John Geiger

“Emerging out of this darkness suddenly was the bow of Quest.”

— John Geiger

Nearly 400 metres beneath the Labrador Sea, John Geiger watched Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last ship emerge from the darkness. Two years after leading the expedition that discovered Quest, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society CEO returned aboard the research submersible Alvin to see the wreck with his own eyes.

In this episode of Explore: A Canadian Geographic Podcast, Geiger joins host David McGuffin to discuss that extraordinary encounter and his new book, Quest: Shackleton’s Last Ship and the End of the Heroic Age. It reveals a surprising Canadian chapter in Shackleton’s life: his plans to explore Canada’s Arctic, his efforts to secure backing in Ottawa, and his thoughts of making Canada his home.

Geiger takes us inside the rivalry between Shackleton and Canadian-born explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, whose competing ambitions divided Ottawa’s political and bureaucratic circles. When Canadian support fell through, Shackleton turned south instead—aboard a ship ill-suited to the Southern Ocean, on the expedition that would become his last.

We also explore Quest’s remarkable working life after Shackleton, the expedition’s visit to Robert Falcon Scott’s last ship, Terra Nova, and how new technology is helping preserve both wrecks digitally. Along the way, Geiger reflects on Shackleton’s exceptional leadership and the power of exploration to bring Canadian history and geography to life.

About our guest

John Geiger is CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic Enterprises, an internationally bestselling author and a member of the Order of Canada. His books include Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition, co-written with Owen Beattie, and The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible, which examines the mysterious presence people sometimes experience in life-threatening situations—including Shackleton during his crossing of South Georgia. His latest book is Quest: Shackleton’s Last Ship and the End of the Heroic Age.

Revisit episodes 85 and 86 of Explore for the story of the 2024 expedition that discovered Quest, featuring John Geiger and expedition members David Mearns and Antoine Normandin.

Explore: A Canadian Geographic Podcast is hosted by David McGuffin and produced by Explore Podcast Productions for Canadian Geographic.

Next Listen:

- Episode 85: Finding Sir Ernest Shackleton's lost ship with John Geiger

- Episode 86: How the Quest was found

Canadian Geographic

• Editor-in-chief: Alexandra Pope
• Digital and travel editor: Madigan Cotterill
• Digital marketing manager: Caroline Workman

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