Mercy Bay
Encyclopedia
Mercy Bay is a Canadian Arctic
waterway
in the Northwest Territories
. It is a southern arm of M'Clure Strait on northeast Banks Island
. The mouth of Castel Bay
is less than 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) to the west. These bays are a part of Aulavik National Park
.
's ship, became ice trapped in Mercy Bay during his search
for the Northwest Passage
and the lost Sir John Franklin Expedition. By 1853, it was finally abandoned in the bay. The crew sledged over ice to Melville Island, where they were rescued.
In July 2010, Parks Canada
archeologists looking for the HMS Investigator found it fifteen-minutes after they started a sonar
scan of Banks Island
, Mercy Bay, Northwest Territories
. The archeology crew has no plans to raise the ship. They will do a thorough sonar scan of the area, then send a remotely operated vehicle
. The Canadian archaeologists found the ship "largely intact" sitting upright in approximately 25 feet of pristine arctic water.
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. It is a southern arm of M'Clure Strait on northeast Banks Island
Banks Island
One of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Banks Island is situated in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is separated from Victoria Island to its east by the Prince of Wales Strait and from the mainland by Amundsen Gulf to its south. The Beaufort Sea lies...
. The mouth of Castel Bay
Castel Bay
Castel Bay is a Canadian Arctic waterway in the Northwest Territories. It is a southern arm of M'Clure Strait on northeast Banks Island. The mouth of the larger Mercy Bay is less than to the east. These bays are a part of Aulavik National Park....
is less than 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) to the west. These bays are a part of Aulavik National Park
Aulavik National Park
Aulavik National Park is a national park located on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is known for its access to the Thomsen River, one of the most northerly navigable rivers in North America. The park is a fly-in park, and protects approximately of Arctic Lowlands at the...
.
HMS Investigator
In September 1851, Captain Robert McClureRobert McClure
Sir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure was an Irish explorer of the Arctic.In 1854, he was the first to transit the Northwest Passage , as well as the first to circumnavigate the Americas.-Early life and career:He was born at Wexford, in Ireland, the posthumous son of one of Abercrombie's captains,...
's ship, became ice trapped in Mercy Bay during his search
McClure Arctic Expedition
The McClure Arctic Expedition of 1850, among numerous British search efforts to determine the fate of the Franklin's lost expedition, is distinguished as the voyage during which Robert McClure became the first person to confirm and transit the Northwest Passage by a combination of sea travel and...
for the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
and the lost Sir John Franklin Expedition. By 1853, it was finally abandoned in the bay. The crew sledged over ice to Melville Island, where they were rescued.
In July 2010, Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
archeologists looking for the HMS Investigator found it fifteen-minutes after they started a sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
scan of Banks Island
Banks Island
One of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Banks Island is situated in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is separated from Victoria Island to its east by the Prince of Wales Strait and from the mainland by Amundsen Gulf to its south. The Beaufort Sea lies...
, Mercy Bay, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. The archeology crew has no plans to raise the ship. They will do a thorough sonar scan of the area, then send a remotely operated vehicle
Remotely operated vehicle
A remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...
. The Canadian archaeologists found the ship "largely intact" sitting upright in approximately 25 feet of pristine arctic water.