"Here's what we know now: For roughly three years, the explorers were lost at sea, living off of canned goods and rationed portions, their-at the time-state-of-the-art ships trapped in ice so dense that buoyancy likely became a superfluous quality. Those who didn't die onboard eventually tried to walk to across the frozen waters to mainland Canada, perishing on their journey."
"Now, in 2025, I found myself standing on a rocky shore 2,000 miles from home on Beechey Island in Nunavut, Canada, staring at the final resting spot of the first three sailors who died during the fated Franklin mission. I wanted to have some kind of profound reflection that would cement the enormity of my visit to such a historic and remote place, but all I could think when I saw the point in person was-actually, no, my brain was frozen."
An 1845 British expedition led by Sir John Franklin became trapped in Arctic ice; sailors survived for years on rations, attempted a fatal march to mainland Canada, and the ships sank. Modern expeditions located the wrecks off King William Island in 2014 and 2016. In 2025 a passenger aboard Viking's Octantis completed a 13-day voyage through Greenland and Nunavut, visiting Beechey Island and the Franklin graves. The voyage juxtaposed historical loss with present-day comfort, revealing how contemporary cruise access transforms encounters with remote, icy sites while confronting intense cold and emotional impact.
Read at Architectural Digest
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