The internationally renowned Explorers Club, based in New York, has awarded their prestigious Citation of Merit Award 2024 to the Endurance22 Expedition team. The expedition was funded and organised by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust.
The award was made to the Leader of the Expedition, John Shears, and Deputy Leader and Subsea Manager, Nico Vincent, at the Explorers Club Gala Dinner in New York on Saturday 20 April in front of a packed audience of 1100 of the world’s most famous explorers, astronauts, and scientists. John and Nico, and all the members of the Endurance22 expedition team, were given a standing ovation led by the President of the Explorers Club, Richard Garriott.
Also attending the gala, the Explorers Club 120th annual dinner, were Mensun Bound – the expedition’s Director of Exploration, and a Trustee of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust – and Tim Jacob – the expedition’s education and outreach coordinator and Director, Traveler Programs at Reach the World. The Explorers Club Citation of Merit has been given annually, since 1962, to an individual or team in recognition of outstanding feats of exploration or contributions to the welfare and objectives of the club, which has about 3,500 members worldwide. It is the equivalent of an Oscar in the world of exploration and expeditions.
The Endurance22 expedition team brought together 65 world-leading engineers, technicians, scientists, pilots, and film makers, along with 45 highly experienced officers and crew onboard the icebreaker S.A. Agulhas II. Together this incredible team achieved what many said was impossible and discovered Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship, Endurance, at a depth of 3008m under the ice in the Weddell Sea on 5 March 2022.
John and Nico were greatly honoured and proud to receive the Citation of Merit on behalf of all the Endurance22 expedition team.
The Citation of Merit 2024 award presented to John is shown below:
Top photo – left to right: Richard Garriott, President of the Explorers Club, John Shears, Nico Vincent and Martin Nweela, Chairman of the Explorers Club Flags and Honors Committee. Photo: Explorers Club.
