FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON — November 8, 2024 – The team that discovered Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last ship Quest in the Labrador Sea on June 12, 2024 has been honoured with a special medal by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Team members from Norway, the United States, the U.K. and Canada gathered for the first time in Ottawa since the historic discovery last June. The Quest Medal was struck especially for this occasion, marking only the second time in RCGS history that a special medal has been created.
Quest medallists include David Mearns, the Expedition Search Director, Capt. Levi Nippard, captain of the search vessel Leeway Odyssey, Antoine Normandin, Expedition Director of Research, Geir O. Kløver, Director of the Fram Museum in Norway, Martin Brooks Co-Founder and CEO of the Shackleton Adventures and Apparel, and Jill Heinerth, RCGS Explorer in Residence.
The Quest Medal, designed by renowned medal artist Susan Taylor, recognizes the tenacity, expertise, and collaboration required to locate Quest, Shackleton’s final ship, and pays tribute to the explorers and supporters who helped make this historic find possible.
Modeled after the Erebus Medal, which was awarded in 2014 for the discovery of one of Sir John Franklin’s ships, the Quest Medal symbolizes the enduring spirit of exploration and the dedication required to reveal the mysteries of Canada’s northern waters.
“We are thrilled to honour these extraordinary individuals whose contributions have brought Shackleton’s legacy to life once more,” said John Geiger, CEO of the RCGS, and Shackleton Quest Expedition Leader. “Their work exemplifies the perseverance and passion for discovery that fuels exploration today. We are working to return for an up close view of Quest in 2025 and will document the shipwreck using Canadian technology to retell the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton to inspire a younger generation to learn his lessons in leadership.”
Geiger also presented David Mearns, a globally-renowned wreck-finder, with the Joseph-Elzear Bernier Medal, one of the Society’s highest honours which is named after a legendary Arctic mariner. The Bernier Medal was conferred in recognition of Mearns’ remarkable career spanning three decades as well as his key role in the Quest find.
In accepting the recognition, Mearns spoke of the importance of the team of people who came together to find Quest, “Everyone who was on the expedition team had a connection to Shackleton through research, family ties, or a fascination with his leadership qualities. Shackleton always put human life first, above all else, and it is why people admire him more than a century after his death. The RCGS punches way above its weight and I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished as a true team and I am determined to do everything I can for the next expedition to be even more consequential for “our” Society,” said David Mearns.
The initial discovery in June was covered by more than 2,000 media outlets worldwide including Reuters, the BBC, the Canadian Press, the Globe and Mail, the New York Times, CNN, the Times of London, CBC, CTV, and Global Television. About half of the funds needed to mount a second expedition to get close up footage of Quest has been secured, the RCGS is actively fundraising to bring the highest quality imagery possible of the historic shipwreck to a global audience.
In addition to celebrating the Quest discovery, the Geographica Dinner brought together leaders in exploration, science, culture and business to further the RCGS’s mission of deepening Canadians’ connection to their country. The RCGS is one of Canada’s largest educational and media charities that publishes Canadian Geographic magazine, the country’s #1 magazine with a monthly readership of 4.3M people, with a network of 28,000 teachers that use its lesson plans and giant floor maps in the classroom.
The RCGS is grateful for the support of META, FASKEN, Global Public Affairs, UBS, Air Canada and St. Joseph Communications, and travel supporters including Adventure Canada, CMH, Eagle-Eye Tours, Great Canadian Trails, Klahoose Wilderness Resort, Maple Leaf Adventures, Nahanni River Adventures, CUNARD, Owl Rafting, Shackleton, Brown Trout and Bullfrog Powered.
For more information, please contact:
Rosemary Thompson
Vice President Communications and Marketing
Royal Canadian Geographical Society Media Relations
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 613-240-6739
