Is the Mystery Close to Being Solved? The HMS Terror, Lost in the 19th Century, Explored for the First Time

There is hope of finding surviving logs, diaries and maps.

Over several weeks in early August, researchers used video mapping technology to explore the wreck of the HMS Terror off the coast of King William Island in Nunavut. This allowed scientists to enter the vessel for the first time.

The location itself, beneath the cold Arctic waters, was crucial to preserving most of the ship. The water temperature and lack of natural light prevented the degradation of many items, including dishes and navigation equipment. 

Scientists hope that maps, logs and diaries may have survived inside, which could help explain what happened to the ship's crew.

In total, the expedition was able to explore 20 separate rooms. The most inaccessible location remained the cabin of the ship's captain, Francis Crozier.

In 1845, the British ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror disappeared in the Canadian Arctic while attempting to find the Northwest Passage. It remains unknown what actually happened to the expedition members. It cannot be ruled out that the 129 crew members of the two vessels died of starvation and hypothermia, and that there were cases of cannibalism.