Nick Kroll and Shackleton's Failed Expedition

Summary

SNAFU with Ed Helms: "Nick Kroll and Shackleton's Failed Expedition"

iHeartPodcasts | Original Airdate: October 15, 2025
Guest: Nick Kroll

---

Episode Overview

Ed Helms returns with Season 4 of SNAFU, America’s hilarious podcast exploring history’s most memorable blunders. This episode features comedian, writer, and actor Nick Kroll as the two dive into the infamous tale of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s failed Antarctic expedition. Lighthearted banter and absurd hypotheticals punctuate this deep dive into what went wrong—and what went right—on history’s most heroic screwup.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Banter and Snafu-Warming (00:37–06:24)

• Cannibalism Icebreaker: The episode opens with Ed and Nick jokingly debating whether they would eat a man or a dog first in a survival situation.

  • Nick: “Dog.”
  • Ed: “If you're gonna put me in that, like, Sophie's Choice situation…” (00:37)

• Personal Snafu—Nick's Family Vacation:
  Nick shares the story of a disastrous deep-sea fishing trip his dad organized for his mom’s birthday in Puerto Rico. The entire family, save for his dad, gets violently seasick.

  • Nick: “My dad turned fully like a chartreuse and all of us just absolutely ralphed all over this boat...Happy birthday, Mom.” (04:11)

Setting the Stage: Who Was Ernest Shackleton? (06:24–09:48)

• Shackleton's Background:

  • Born 1874 in Ireland, grew up in London.
  • Left school at 16 for the sea—“no Adderall then,” jokes Ed.
  • Early expeditions earned him knighthood.

• Era of Antarctic Exploration:

  • Early 20th century saw a “heroic age” with 17 major expeditions from 10 countries.
    • Ed: “Antarctica was so infested with explorers, this period became known as the heroic age...” (09:14)

• Comic Digression: Nick playfully claims to have seen Antarctica from Argentina:

  • Nick: “It was not hard at all. So whatever is about to happen to Shackleton, like, no big deal. Get a grip, bro.” (09:48)

The Endurance Expedition: Expectations vs. Reality (10:01–13:28)

• The Grand Plan:
  After the South Pole was reached by Amundsen, Shackleton set out to cross Antarctica by land—to become the first ever.
• Supplies and Crew:
  • 28 men (including a stowaway), 69 sled dogs, and a tomcat called Mrs. Chippy.
  • Nick jokes about bringing a hypoallergenic pillow and a “penguin Duolingo.” (12:04)

Disaster Strikes (13:28–15:53)

• Trapped in Ice:

  • After only a couple days, the Endurance is frozen in, “like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar.”
  • Four months of total darkness follow.
    • Ed: “On May 1st, the sun fully vanished for four whole months.” (14:41)
    • Nick: “I am in a total blackout right now.” (15:01)

• Are They Good in a Crisis? Ed reflects on Nick’s calm under pressure:

  • Nick: “My blood pressure drops. I get very calm. I don't know if I'm effective or helpful, but I do not like panic.” (15:53)
  • Memorable Moment: Ed recalls Nick getting super stoned before a comedy show but remaining chill—"just wrote it beautifully." (16:10)

The Breakdown: Survival Mode (19:55–25:44)

• Abandoning Ship:

  • The Endurance is crushed by ice.
  • Makeshift camp built on the ice—complete with “dog glues” (dog igloos).
    • Nick: “I just want to talk about that. Have this be a space where we can talk about that kind of stuff.” (20:17)

• Rations & Losses:

  • Crew survives on seal and penguin meat.
  • Dogs that couldn’t survive—and Mrs. Chippy—are put down.
  • Endurance sinks: “She’s going, boys.” (21:56)
    • Ed (on losing the ship): “If my one mode of transportation out of certain death is just sinking before my eyes, I'm probably a little upset.” (22:21)

• March to Survival:

  • Hauling boats by sled: seven miles in seven days.
  • Ice eventually carries them closer to Elephant Island.

Boat Journey to Elephant Island (24:28–25:44)

• Brutal Boat Trip:

  • Crew forced into tiny lifeboats, battling massive waves.
  • Many suffer dysentery and seasickness, making conditions hellish.
    • Ed: “At this point...add to that dysentery, and now you know that it ain't just seawater sloshing around in those boats.” (25:01)

• Landfall at Last:

  • Finally, after 16 months gone, they reach desolate Elephant Island—only to realize rescue is still a distant hope.

The Final Ordeal: The Voyage for Rescue (27:58–31:17)

• The James Caird:

  • Shackleton and 4 crew set out for South Georgia Island—800 miles away—in a tiny lifeboat.
    • Nick: “Oh my God.” (28:49)
  • After 16 days at sea, they land—on the wrong side of the island.

• Summiting for Help:

  • Starving, frozen, they hike over a mountain to the whaling station.
    • Ed: “These guys are unstoppable.” (29:15)

• Rescue & Legacy:

  • It takes months, but Shackleton returns to Elephant Island and saves everyone—every crew member survives.
    • Ed: “They arrived in Chile 638 days after their initial voyage started...Every single member of the crew survived.” (31:15)

Epic Fail or Epic Win? (32:17–34:44)

• Nick’s Reflection:
  • “To basically go two years with a crew of 27, 28 men, to have every one of them survive is a triumph of organization and leadership and adaptability.” (33:23)
• Ed’s Reflection:
  • “This whole thing was optional, but that said, we do need people who push that envelope and like push humanity forward...” (34:02)

Modern Discovery & Fun Facts (34:44–38:29)

• Endurance Found:
  • In 2022, the ship was discovered nearly intact after 107 years, thanks to exceptionally preserved conditions underwater.
    • Ed: “Some called it the most pristine shipwreck they'd ever seen...could even read HMS Endurance on the back.” (36:44)
• 100-Year-Old Scotch:
  • Whiskey bottles were found and were still liquid after a century in the ice.
    • Nick: “I’d pay upwards of, you know, like 60 bucks.” (36:44)
    • Ed: “I would pay a shitload for that Scotch.” (36:58)
• Shackleton’s Last Words:
  • After numerous expeditions, Shackleton died at 47.
    • Reported last words: “You always want me to give up something. What do you want me to give up now?” (38:49)

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Shackleton’s Name:

  • Ed: “He sounds like a 70s action movie star...or the President’s fixer. Get me Shackleton.” (06:24)
  • Nick: “And the first name being Ernest also speaks to like a sense of character inside of that.” (06:58)

• On Survival Choices:

  • Ed: “If you had to eat a man or a dog first, where would you go?” (37:39)
  • Nick: “Dog. I mean...yeah, me too.” (37:46)
  • Nick: “Yeah, I’m a fine young cannibal. I’m a fine middle aged cannibal.” (38:04)

• On Inspirational Value:

  • Ed: “If he could do that, it makes me hopeful for human potential...we’re just sort of losing this mettle that people like Shackleton and all of his men had.” (40:09)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:37–01:10: Cannibalism icebreaker & welcome Nick Kroll
• 03:12–04:11: Nick’s childhood “snafu” story—deep sea fishing disaster
• 06:24–09:48: Introducing Ernest Shackleton & history of Antarctic exploration
• 13:28–15:53: The Endurance stuck in ice & total darkness
• 19:55–23:24: The ship crush, “dog glues,” and life on ice
• 24:28–25:44: Dangerous journey by boat to Elephant Island
• 27:58–31:17: Shackleton’s lifeboat journey to South Georgia and rescue
• 32:17–34:44: Epic fail or heroic triumph? Wrapping up the lesson
• 34:44–36:44: The 2022 rediscovery of the Endurance shipwreck
• 36:44–38:29: The whiskey stash & Shackleton’s final days
• 39:04–41:18: Takeaways, lessons, and Nick Kroll’s current projects

---

Takeaways & Conclusions

• On Shackleton:
  Against all odds, Ernest Shackleton’s catastrophic failure to cross Antarctica became a story of leadership, grit, and survival. Despite massive adversity, not one man was lost.

• On Humanity:
  Nick and Ed agree the saga is ultimately inspiring—showing what people are capable of handling, even as modern life dulls some instincts.

• Practical Takeaways:

  • “Don’t go to Antarctica. Let it be.” (39:04)
  • “If you do...go with Ernest Shackleton.” (39:19)

---

Final Notes

The episode concludes with light-hearted plugs for Nick’s upcoming projects, underscoring the conversational, friendly tone that runs throughout.

---

For listeners new to the podcast:
This episode serves as an accessible, laugh-filled crash course in both historical disaster and accidental heroism—delivered (and deconstructed) by two old friends who clearly love a good story and a better joke.

Transcript

[A]

This is an I heart podcast.

[B]

This episode is brought to you by Audible.

[A]

What kind of man would let this happen to his family?

[B]

Inspired by shocking actual events, I'm working on a story about the Murdochs. Their abuses of power are playing out in real time. Starring Academy award winner Patricia Arquette and Jason Clark. It's only cheating if you get caught. Hulu original Series Murdoch Death in the family New episode episodes Wednesdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers terms apply.

[A]

If you had to eat a man or a dog first, where would you go? Dog.

[B]

I mean, if you're gonna put me in that, like, Sophie's Choice situation.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, me. Oh, yeah, me too.

[B]

You're thinking real hard about that. But we're gonna let it go. All right? Today I am joined by the hilarious Inim Nick Kroll. Nick, welcome to snafu. Thanks so much for coming on.

[A]

Thanks for having me, Ed. And thanks for using the word inimitable.

[B]

Yeah, it should be in imitatable.

[A]

Is that what it is?

[B]

That's what it means. That's what it means. But it. But it. It's inimitable, which is a weird one.

[A]

Yeah. And I'm so excited to be here on SNAFU as well.

[B]

We are. So. I'm so glad to have you. Obviously, we. We have been friends a very long time. I was trace back the origin of our friendship, and I couldn't do it.

[A]

Well, I have a memory that you don't have, which is in New York, when we were starting out, you would do these shows at clubs called bringer shows. You'd have to bring five to 10 people to a comedy club so that you could get a tape made of you at a comedy club to prove that you had. And I did my first bringer show ever at the Boston Comedy Club in New York City City, ironically named. And you were the host of that show. At this point, Ed, you were already flying high. You had been in a Dale Earnhardt super bowl commercial.

[B]

You were.

[A]

You were big. You were. You were big time. You had been in a national. You had been in a network national TV commercial. You were a big deal.

[B]

That was a Super bowl commercial.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was a big deal.

[B]

Earnhardt Jr. That was my first, like, big acting booking of my life.

[A]

Yeah, it was. It was a big deal for me too, Ed, just to be in the same room as someone who had been in the same room as Dale Earnhardt Jr. But I. You were incredibly nice to me that day, as you have been every day since. Then, and it really, it still tickles me that like that we're friends and, and that I am doing you this massive favor of being on the podcast.

[B]

I mean, this is, this is, you know, this is payback for your first staged tape, your first stand up taping or whatever the hell it was.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Before I get into the tragedy, the story, the snafu that I am going to tell you, do you have any major snafus from your life that you would like to share?

[A]

So I was away with my whole family. We were in, I think Puerto Rico, go on a family vacation around, I think, you know, like Christmas vacation. And so my dad thought that a cool thing to do would be to organize a deep sea fishing trip for my mom's birthday because my dad knows nothing about what is my mom would enjoy. So they packed us like the hotel packed us a bunch of like tuna sandwiches because, you know, Puerto Rico is famous for its tuna fish sandwiches. My family ranged from about 8 to 15. Four of us, my parents and.

[B]

And you're the youngest, right?

[A]

I'm the youngest, yeah.

[B]

So you're, you're eight.

[A]

I'm eight or nine years old. And we get on the boat, we're going out to the deep sea and the waves are horrible. Like, we later found out that a tanker had capsized that day in the Atlantic. So the waves were massive. We were just getting pummeled and we all were sitting there and the entire family puked our tuna fish sandwiches out all over, all over the place, except for my dad who just sat in the captain's chair gripping like the chair turning. I'd never seen, you know when people say, like he turned green. Like, I've never seen it really since before, since. But my dad turned fully like a chartreuse and all of us just absolutely ralphed all over this boat and it was like, happy birthday, Mom.

[B]

This is perfect. And the best part is like a tuna fish sandwich. A tuna fish sandwich smells horrendous to begin with. Fresh, like a fresh sandwich right out of the deli. It's like, it's kind of a gross thing already. And then to eat it and then to regurgitate it is a, is just an unthinkable stench. It's not ideal, no. Well, that's very tragic and I'm very, very sorry. But this is a perfect lead in to our snafu for today. I'm gonna tell you the story of Ernest Shackleton's f full expedition to Antarctica. Do you know much about this? To begin with, I have Heard of.

[A]

This, but I have no recall of.

[B]

Is a fascinating and wild story. Are you ready to jump in, Nick Kroll? I'm.

[A]

I'm strapped into the captain's chair. The waves are big. I finished my tuna sandwich, and I'm ready to go.

[B]

All right, let's do it. Let's do it. I hope. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sand. Let's start out by getting to know our protagonist, Ernest Shackleton. First off, can we talk about the name? Because it is such an inherently badass name. I mean, he sounds like a. Like a 70s action movie star that should be played by Charles Bronson or like the President's fixer. Get me Shackleton.

[A]

I agree. I mean, and the. But then the. But then the first name being Ernest also speaks to, like, a sense of character inside of that.

[B]

There you go. I always thought Nick Kroll was kind of a badass name.

[A]

Get me Nick Kroll.

[B]

Get me Kroll.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Ed Helms is like the guy peeling turnips on the porch. Ed here.

[A]

Hey, Ed. Yeah, I. Yeah, but, like, I'd say, one of the top turnip tossers in the. In the county.

[B]

Well, thank you. Well, as. As we will soon learn, Ernest Shackleton very much lived up to that badass name. Born in 1874 in Ireland, Shackleton moved to London at age 10. But the whole sitting in a classroom thing, not so much for young Ernest. By the age 16, he bailed on formal education and just, like, set out to sea, because I guess that's what you did in the 1890s when you had a short attention span and there was no Adderall, hadn't been invented yet. Now, Shackleton had a pretty striking appearance. I think we have a picture of him. Can we take a look here? I'm seeing less polar adventurer and more junior high music teacher, huh?

[A]

Ed, can I ask how many of the people that you have traced in this show look like they could be relatives of yours?

[B]

That's fair. He does look like my dad a little bit. He actually looks a lot like my grandfather. I might be related to Ernest Shackleton. I gotta. I gotta dig into this.

[A]

I would not put it past you. All right.

[B]

But to answer your question, it's a prerequisite. We only talk about people who look vaguely like me or my relatives. So let's set the stage a little bit, get a little historical context. Now, you might think that in the early 1900s, a harebrained scheme like crossing Antarctica would be a crazy outlier like Elon Musk trying to go to Mars, or me trying to take my kids on any 10 minute hike. But actually, you'd be wrong, because around this time, no less than 10 different countries sent out 17 major expeditions. In fact, Antarctica was so infested with explorers, this period became known as the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. I'm sad we missed that age, Nick.

[A]

I will say I've been to Ushuaia, which is in the southernmost tip of Argentina.

[B]

Oh, very close. All right.

[A]

Which was like less than 500 miles from Antarctica. I could see Antarctica.

[B]

You could see it?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Oh, that's cool.

[A]

And it was not hard at all. So whatever is about to happen to Shackleton, like, no big deal. Get a grip, bro.

[B]

Yeah. All right, well, let's get into it. Ernie was, was on a lot of these early expeditions and he even set some impressive records marching further south than anyone had before him. He was even knighted for some of his early exploration down there. But then Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen would become the first to reach the south pole in 1911. So Shackleton then set his sights on the next prize, which was to be the first person to cross the entire continent from sea to sea. Now, I don't know about you, Nick, but I'm. I'm concerned about Shackleton's odds here. It's like the early 1900s. This is not an easy trek, Ed.

[A]

I have enough problems getting across town.

[B]

Okay, can we talk about the bumper to bumper or shall I say bow to stern traffic all around Antarctica? It is a doozy down there.

[A]

It's a doozy of a continent to cross, I will tell you that.

[B]

On December 5, 1914, Shackleton sets sail for Antarctica from South Georgia, which is a tiny British territory deep in the southern Atlantic Ocean. His ship is the HMS Endurance, which is another badass name, if I may say. The plan was to establish a land base on the Weddell Sea coast and then just start sledding across the Antarctic. Now, let's keep in mind it is 1914. You can't just run to REI and like, pick up some Capeline base layers and a Gore Tex shell. No, you are headed to Antarctica and all of your clothes are basically made out of like leather, wool and wood. So I. It's. It ain't comfy, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. What would you pack on this trip, Nick Kroll? What would you bring?

[A]

I would bring my hypoallergenic pillow. I would bring my penguin duolingo.

[B]

Did you say penguin duolingo?

[A]

Yeah, if you gotta talk to penguins. Antarctica, famous for its.

[B]

The language. So you can learn penguin language.

[A]

Yeah, so I can learn penguin language.

[B]

I thought you actually had a penguin named Duolingo.

[A]

Yeah, I wish.

[B]

So the crew of this expedition consists of 27 men. Actually it's 28 because there was a stowaway. There are 69 sled dogs and a single tomcat that they named Mrs. Chippy. So, yes, that is a male cat with a female name because Shackleton was evidently very progressive. Any, anyone, like, jump to mind, like, who you would want to bring on this trip? Who would be in your crew?

[A]

You're gonna have some people who know how to take care of dogs. You want some people who can read a. You know, a compass. Although I don't know what happens to your compass when you go to a pole. I wonder if it goes haywire when you go to a poll.

[B]

It's probably not super helpful down there. That's a good point. But they're, they're, it's all like celestial navigation down there, I think.

[A]

Oh, that's cool.

[B]

All right, so they're off and running on this expedition. Two days in, they encountered a huge barrier of ice surrounding Antarctica, which is usually there, I gather, but this one was particularly bad. They were expecting to be able to sail all the way to land, but they didn't get there. And by the following month, on January 18th, the HMS Endurance got completely stuck in the ice. As one of the crew members, Thomas Ordley's put it, they were frozen like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar. Delicious, right? It's like kind of a weirdly yummy metaphor for a life threatening situation. Yeah, I would have gone with something a little darker, maybe. Maybe an almond stuck in dark chocolate. Jackleton. Yeah, there you go. Shackleton, his men, all the dogs, and of course, Mrs. Chippy had no choice but to simply hunker down and wait out a very long winter. Winter in Antarctica. Probably not real mellow. And just to make things a little more dire, on May 1st, the sun fully vanished for four whole months. Now, Nick, I know you're a flat Earther, but this is actually a crazy phenomenon due to the Earth's tilt, wherein the north and South Poles at certain times of the year have either total sunlight or total blackout for months on end. So in the wintertime, total blackout.

[A]

I am in a total blackout right now. Absolutely.

[B]

I've known you a long time. Like a good 60% of your day is blackout. God.

[A]

And I'm just following the celestial signs to get through the day? No, it just sounds like a nightmare to be in the dark, going across a continent nobody has ever been to and trying to guide yourself, hoping that you're going in the right direction.

[B]

But also, you're not even on land yet. Like, you're in the. You're still in the ocean, just stuck on ice like that. That doesn't feel safe, even in the middle, right? Like, no. Are you Nick Kroll? Are you good in a crisis? Like, if this. If you're in this situation, are you just, like, freaking out, breaking out in hives? Like, panicking, screaming at everybody? Are you, like, pitching in? Like, staying optimistic?

[A]

I don't know if I'm good in a crisis, but I do not freak out. My blood pressure drops. I get very calm. I don't know if I'm effective or helpful, but I am definitely. I don't like panic.

[B]

I've seen you in a crisis. I've. I've actually. I remember we were set to do some shows at the Telluride Comedy Festival, and we went to dinner ahead of time, and you were acting a little strange, and you got a little quiet at dinner, and that's when you told us that your edibles were kicking in. You'd had some of that sweet Colorado edible. And I started to panic. I was like, we gotta do these shows. We're improving together. A lot of us are counting on each other. You were so chill, and you wrote it so beautifully. You were having fun. You got real giggly. But it was, like. It was definitely a lot more than you were expecting.

[A]

Yeah, it's just one of the last times I probably did edibles, because every time I ever done edibles, it's a massive snafu. It's just like, you cannot.

[B]

It can't go well.

[A]

What kind of man would let this happen to his family?

[B]

Inspired by shocking actual events, I'm working on a story about the Murdochs. Their abuses of power are playing out in real time. Starring Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette and Jason Clark. It's only cheating if you get caught. Hulu Original Series Murdoc, Death in the Family New episodes Wednesdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. Hey, Ed Helms here. Now, if you're listening to Snafu, you probably love a good story, especially the kind that pulls you in, twists your brain a little, and leaves you wanting more. And you also like listening to that story. Well, if this describes you, I've got another podcast you should check out. It's called Irsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club, and I co host it with my good friend Cal Penn. Each week we dive into some of the most compelling new audiobooks from Audible. Thrillers, reimagined classics, comedies. And we bring in amazing guests to help us unpack them. Think of it like a book club, but with zero pressure to actually crack open the book. All you got to do is listen to it. And by the way, listening is reading. It is not cheating. So if you want more great stories in your life, listen to hearsay now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now, I don't know if you've heard, but Mint's Premium Wireless is $15 a month. But I'd like to offer one other perk. We have no stores. That means no small talk. Crazy weather we're having. No, it's not. It's just weather. It is an introvert's dream. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan. $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. Seemintmobile.com so now, by September, the pressure of the ice all around the HMS Endurance is getting even more intense because there are just these huge ice floes that are, that are being pushed by the wind and the currents and they're starting to crush the ship. And by October, as the ice constricted the ship more and more, it began to list over dramatically to one side and was even taking on water. So Shackleton orders everyone to abandon ship. They set up camp on the ice. And here's a fun detail. They even made little dog igloos for the dogs, which they called dog glues.

[A]

Aw.

[B]

If you live in a winter climate, think about making a dog glue because it's, it's unbelievably adorable.

[A]

Well, there is a dog glue housing shortage right now, of course, that I feel like we, we should address.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I just want to talk, I want to be able to talk about that. Have this be a space where we can talk about that kind of stuff.

[B]

Let's do it. Now here's another cool, weird detail is you might be wondering why, how do we have a picture of the actual dog glue? Well, there was a photographer on this expedition and he, his name was Frank Hurley and it was his job to document everything. But they're just pictures of all this stuff we're talking about. And I would encourage our listeners to check them out because it's very cool. Okay, so they have shelter, but what are these guys eating? The crew is hunting seals and penguins to feed themselves and the dogs. What do you think? Are you more of a seal or penguin guy?

[A]

I love frankly, both. I find seals to be like, just about the cutest.

[B]

It's hard to eat cute things. I think penguins are unbelievably cute.

[A]

Yeah, I think penguins are funny to me. I don't know if they're. Yeah. I don't know how good the meat is on a penguin. You know what I mean?

[B]

It's not a delicacy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If all of this is not bad enough, things are about to get way worse for Ernie Shacky and all his buddies. The Endurance, wedged in the ice, hasn't sunk yet, but it's not looking good. And they know that they need to lose as much weight as possible. So they begin unloading and discarding whatever they can sacrifice. Books, bibles, personal belongings. Sadly, this also meant putting down some of the smaller dogs that they knew wouldn't survive, which must have been really tough in those circumstances. And yes, even Mrs. Chippy was put down. R.I.P. Mrs. Chippy. Aw, yeah, this is hard. I mean, they're in survival mode here. It's pretty, it's pretty brutal. Then it happened. On November 21, Shackleton and his crew watched as the Endurance sank. And apparently Shackleton yelled out, she's going, boys. I don't, I don't know if, if that was like a sort of like a funny thing to say at the time or, or like it was through tears, but all I know is if my one mode of transportation out of certain death is just sinking before my eyes, I'm probably a little upset. I might have a little panic attack.

[A]

It would be a bad vibe, I.

[B]

Think it's fair to say, pretty bad vibe. Now, obviously their game plan has now shifted dramatically. It's gone from let's make a heroic crossing of this continent to basically let's just try to get the hell out of here alive. And yeah, so basically they just start walking across this never ending ice flow towards land. I mean, what else are you gonna do? But they're not just walking, they're also hauling the lifeboats that they salvaged from the Endurance and they're using as sleds to carry their supplies. So needless to say, this is very slow going. They only managed to walk seven miles in seven days. So Shackleton gives the order, he's like, this is hopeless. We Gotta just hunker down and wait for conditions to get better.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So they did. They set up camp again, and fortunately, the ice drifted in their favor. And finally, on April 7th, Elephant island came into view on the horizon. Now, it ain't Maui, but I'm pretty sure it was a lovely sight to see. Right. It's land. Like, they're just psyched to see some land at this point, but now their ice flow that they're riding on is starting to kind of break apart, and it's no longer safe. Also just terrifying. Like, they're on. They're in the Antarctic Ocean, for God's sake. So on April 11, 1916, they're forced to pack up the boats and launch for Elephant Island. Now, these are tiny little lifeboats. They're, like, 22ft long, and they're basically like big canoes. And they're in very high seas with waves crashing around them. And that water is a little bit chilly, right? Probably one would think, like, it's ice water. It's literally like holding a glass of ice water.

[A]

I love it at a restaurant. I don't necessarily want to go swimming in it, Ed.

[B]

Cold plunging is a delight when it is a choice.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

But these guys are just getting. Yeah, these guys are getting just slammed by huge waves and freezing water. And also at this point, a lot of them are suffering from seasickness and dysentery. So imagine your sickness that you had on your family vacation, but add to that dysentery, and now you know that it ain't just seawater sloshing around in those boats at this point.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

I like to think I'd be one of the guys yanking on the oars getting us to Elephant Island.

[A]

I think you would be.

[B]

I don't know. I might be balled up on the floor in fetal position, but I don't.

[A]

See you that way, Ed. I think you're a. You're. You're a. You're a team player.

[B]

I appreciate that.

[A]

I mean, when I was. When I was, like, losing my mind on edibles, all you did was poke me and make fun of me. So.

[B]

We supported you.

[A]

You did. You really, genuinely did.

[B]

Okay. After six days and 30 miles of open ocean, they finally make landfall. Yes. They've been gone now for a year and a half, and they're finally on solid ground.

[A]

But what kind of man would let this happen to his family?

[B]

Inspired by shocking actual events, I'm working on a story about the Murdochs. Their abuses of power are playing out in real time. Starring Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette and Jason Clark. It's only cheating if you get caught. Hulu original series Murdoch, Death in the Family. New episodes Wednesdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. Hey, Ed Helms here. Now, if you're listening to Snafu, you probably love a good story, especially the kind that pulls you in, twists your brain a little, and leaves you wanting more. And you also like listening to that story. Well, if this describes you, I've got another podcast you should check out. It's called Irsay, the Audible and iHeart audiobook club, and I co host it with my good friend Cal Penn. Each week we dive into some of the most compelling new audiobooks from Audible. Thrillers, reimagined classics, comedies. And we bring in amazing guests to help us unpack them. Think of it like a book club, but with zero pressure to actually crack open the book. All you gotta do is listen to it. And by the way, listening is reading it is not cheating. So if you want more great stories in your life, listen to earsay now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Mint is still $15 a month for premium wireless. And if you haven't made the switch yet, here are 15 reasons why you should. One, it's $15 a month. Two, seriously, it's $15 a month. Three, no big contracts. Four, I use it. Five, my mom used to say, are you. Are you playing me off? That's what's happening, right? Okay, give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan. $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer, first three months only, then full price plan, options available, taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com don't party yet because I have a little bit of bad news. Which is that elephant. Yes, Elephant island. Uninhabited, right? So you can't just check into a Hampton Inn and hit the Applebee's for a hot rack of ribs. This is. This. This ordeal is far from over. So they're on solid ground, which is. Which is great. And it's been a harrowing journey. Like they're basically heroes already. But there's so much more ahead, so Shackleton and his crew still need some serious help getting out of there. So after a few days recuperating and gorging on more of that delicious penguin jerky. Yeah, me, Shackleton and four other men once again boarded one of those tiny little lifeboats. And it's just. This is they basically are like sending off just a tiny crew to go get help. While the rest wait on Elephant island. They board a tiny lifeboat named the James Caird and set sail for South Georgia Island. No big deal, it's only 800 miles away.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

But alas, after 16 brutal days, again, like incredibly high seas, like crazy stormy winds, they make it. They make it to South Georgia.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

But Nick.

[A]

Uh huh.

[B]

Guess what?

[A]

Oh, and what?

[B]

They're on the wrong side of the island.

[A]

Oh my God. What do you mean?

[B]

Well, because I think because the currents and the wind and the storms were so intense, they couldn't land at this little whaling station that they were aiming for and they actually landed on the exact wrong side of the island. So now they're exhausted, starving, frozen, basically solid, and they have to climb over a mountain to get to this little whaling outpost. And guess what? They did it. They just did it. These guys are unstoppable. This is Ernest Shackleton and a few of his top crew. They get all the way over the mountain and they descend into this little whaling outpost. And the, the Norwegian, I think he's a Norwegian guy that kind of runs this place and he's just like, this is impossible. Like humans can't just show up on South Georgia island with like inexplicably. And he's.

[A]

You don't know Ernie. You don't know Ernie.

[B]

Have you met Ernie? Obviously this guy is super hospitable, gives them a warm welcome. They're, they rest up, they recuperate. But now of course they have to go back and rescue everyone still on Elephant Island. But it takes a long time to get the resources together to do that. So it's another 126 days before they finally returned to Elephant island on August 30, 1916, and rescued the remainder of the crew and, and sailed back to civilization. They arrived in Chile 638 days after their initial voyage started. And Nick, brace yourself. Every single member of the crew survived.

[A]

That's crazy.

[B]

There were, there was obviously very tragic loss of life with the dogs and Mrs. Chippy, but, but the crew, the human crew all survived.

[A]

Did they eat the dogs?

[B]

I think that some of the dogs were consumed, but at that point you're like, hey Billy, if you die, we're eating you, you know?

[A]

Yeah. If you had to eat a man or a dog first, where would you go?

[B]

Dog? I mean, if you're gonna put me in that like Sophie's Choice situation.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, me def. Oh yeah, me too.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

For sure.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Oh, for sure.

[B]

Yeah. Really? You're thinking real hard about that. But, but we're gonna let it go.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're, you're a recreational cannibal.

[A]

Yeah, I'm a fine young cannibal. I'm a fine middle aged cannibal.

[B]

So this is a, this is a, a cannibal crazy story and it's an interesting one in the SNAFU category because it obviously it's a failed mission and it becomes this terrible, terrible, awful tragedy. All of which make it a complete snafu, and yet it then kind of takes this positive turn in the end. So what's your call on this? Would you say it's an epic fail or an epic win?

[A]

Well, I think it speaks to the larger point of view you have on life, which is ole Ernie Shackleton, one of the last remaining great two point scorers because they had not put the three point line in. But ole Ernie Shackleton obviously was a motivated fella and was setting incredibly high standards and goals for himself. I'm going to cross all of Antarctica. He failed to do that and that must have been quite disappointing. However, to basically go two years with a crew of 27, 28 men, to have every one of them survive is a triumph of organization and leadership and adaptability. And he could, he was tough on himself. But I hope that Ernest was able to sort of see what a, what a feat that that is to have, have brought everyone back.

[B]

It is largely considered a very heroic occurrence in, in, in among historians. And, and it's funny because, you know, the, the British explorer tradition is so like ego driven. It's sort of like, it's one of those things where it's like, well, you put yourself in that situation. Yeah, this whole thing was optional, but. Yeah, but, but that said, like, we do need people who push that envelope and like push humanity forward with these incredible daring explorations. And he, he's one of those people. It went, it went terribly wrong.

[A]

But by Jove, which I, you have to imagine that was said so much.

[B]

And by the way, it would be another 50 years before anyone crossed Antarctica. So he was way ahead of his time. Like it wasn't, it wasn't actually accomplished for a long, long time after that. There's more to the story. On March 5, 2022, this is only a few years ago, the HMS Endurance was discovered. 107 years later, many said the ship would be impossible to find because the Weddell Sea is permanently covered in so much thick ice. But using lunar occultation notes, it's basically tracking the moon's movements. And the ship's astronomer or whatever or navigator had kept really meticulous notes about the celestial bodies moving and, and they had these incredible notes. They were able to kind of like go back in time and based on his notes, pinpoint the location where the, the Endurance had been stuck in the ice. And so that's where they searched and lo and behold, they found it. Now, some called it the most pristine shipwreck they'd ever seen. Apparently, like in warm, warmer waters, there are these enzymes and different things that consume or kind of denigrate the wood over time. But none of that is in the Weddell Sea, it's just too cold. So the shipwreck is in perfect condition. I think it's like two miles deep. And they could even read HMS Endurance on the back. And then this is fascinating. They found bottles of whiskey buried in the ice near Shackleton's wreck. And miraculously, these remained liquid despite the -22 degrees Fahrenheit weather. How much would you pay for a bottle of endurance 100 year old?

[A]

Oh, I'd pay a lot. Like, could I Venmo him? Yeah, I'd pay upwards of, you know, like 60 bucks.

[B]

I would pay a shitload for that Scotch. I'm not even, it's probably not consumable, but, but also, I must say, if there's, if, if there's Scotch left behind, this adventure, like, I'm starting to question their priorities.

[A]

Right. Like, what were they doing leaving all that, that Scotch behind?

[B]

Yeah, come on. This, this is, well, you know, Shackleton had good Scotch. Like, he was, he was a, he was Sir Ernest Shackleton, like, and he's like, he had the good stuff.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, this is well before Bush's. No Scotch left behind. But you have to imagine how they made it. I guess they were probably like, if we're going to make it for a year or two, like in the middle of, literally in the middle of nowhere, alcohol is not going to help. Like, this is only going to create discord amongst us. So maybe better to leave it behind.

[B]

All right. As for Ernest Shackleton, he passed away at the very not ripe young age of 47 in 1922 from a heart attack during another Antarctic expedition. So he was not traumatized by this. He went back, he was like, give me more. Antarctica researchers now say that he may have had a hole in his heart based on a lot of the symptoms that he was just making notes of in his, in his journal, which is a congenital heart defect that's not uncommon. Some say that the hole in his heart was just the grief over losing Mrs. Chippy.

[A]

Who.

[B]

Who can say? I think that's true also. Okay. And I love this. After a doctor asked him to take it easy, his reported last words were, you always want me to give up something. What do you want me to give up now? Hmm. I guess you can take the Shackleton out of the voyage, but you can't take the Voyager out of Shackleton.

[A]

Indeed, Nick.

[B]

That's our story. That is the story of Ernest Shackleton. That is today's snafu. What have we learned? Anything? Any big takeaways?

[A]

Yeah, let's see. You can preserve your body in a cold plunge for a hundred years. Don't go to Antarctica. Just don't go. Like, let it be. Just let it be.

[B]

Or if you do, make sure you go with Ernest Shackleton.

[A]

Go with Ernie. Dogs are delicious. If you need something to eat, if.

[B]

You'Re starving and about to die.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All right.

[A]

What about you? Any. Any takeaways for you?

[B]

I love these. This kind of survival story because it's just so inspiring and not in a way that's like, oh, well, what are my problems compared to that guy's problems? It's more like if he could do that, it makes me hopeful for human potential. Like all the things that we can do and deal with. And that, unfortunately, TikTok and Instagram is slowly sapping out of us. Like we're.

[A]

The more we.

[B]

The more we indulge in modern society, it feels like we're just sort of losing this metal that people like Shackleton and all of his men had.

[A]

I'm inspired. I'm inspired to go live more earnestly.

[B]

Nick, you inspire me on a daily basis.

[A]

Thank you, sir.

[B]

You inspire me. Are you up to anything? Is there anything we can talk about and. And tell the. The. The world and fans and listeners about?

[A]

Yeah, I'm doing a journey to Antarctica.

[B]

I saw that. Go the GoFundMe page. Your goal was fifteen hundred dollars. It doesn't seem adequate.

[A]

I know. I have. Depending on when this comes out, the final season of Big Mouth, my animated show on Netflix, comes out.

[B]

Yes, in.

[A]

Late spring. There's a movie that I made with Andrew Rannells called I Don't Understand you'd. That'll also be out late spring, early summer.

[B]

Can't wait for that.

[A]

And a show that I produced and directed some of called Adults on fx, that'll be out this spring.

[B]

So fantastic.

[A]

Whenever this stuff comes out, if you're not stuck on a boat in Antarctica. Luckily, that's not a problem because everything is melting. Can go check out one of those things.

[B]

Right on. Nick, I adore you and I am so grateful to have you on. Ladies and gentlemen, Nick Kroll.

[A]

Thanks, Ed. I love you, buddy.

[B]

Cheers.

[A]

It's a pleasure. Cheers.

[B]

Snafu is a production of iHeart podcasts and snafu Master Media, a partnership between Film Nation Entertainment and Pacific Electric Picture Company. Post production and creative support from Gilded Audio. Our executive producers are me, Ed Helms, Mike Falbow, Glenn Basner, Andy Kim, Whitney Donaldson and Dylan Fagan. This episode was produced by Alyssa Martino, Tori Smith and Carl Nellis. Our consulting producer is Jess Hackel. Additional story editing from Carl Nellis. Our video editor is Jared Smith. Technical direction and engineering from Nick Dooley. Our creative executive is Brett Harris. Logo and branding by the Collected Works. Legal review from Dan Welch, Megan Halson and Caroline Johnson. Special thanks to Isaac Dunham, Adam Horn, Lane Klein and everyone at iHeart podcasts, but especially Will Pearson, Kerry Lieberman, Nikki Itor, Nathan Otoski and Alex Corral. While I have you, don't forget to pick up a copy of my book, snafu the definitive guide to History's greatest Screw ups. It's available now from any book retailer. Just go to snafu-book.com thanks for listening and see you next week. This is Alec Murdoch. I need police and an ambulance immediately. Murdoch Death in the Family Official Podcast is here. I'm joining Patricia Arquette, Jason Clark and the cast to uncover all things Murdoch family first to unravel the story piece by piece was really surprising because you don't want to believe it. Murdoch Death in the Family Official Podcast Wednesdays and stream Murdoch Death in the Family on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers terms apply. Hey folks, Ed Helms here. If you love audiobooks like I do, and let's be honest, who doesn't love being read too, then you gotta check out my new podcast with kalpen. It's called Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every week we nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks from Audible. Thrillers, classics, comedy, you name it. And hey, listening is reading. Okay? It's not cheating, it's just awesome. Follow earsay now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.