Canada in search of historic shipwrecks

The British ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were trapped in the Arctic ice

The British ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were trapped in the Arctic ice as Sir John Franklin sought a northern route from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

He and his 128 crew died - although their exact fate remains a mystery - and the ships were never found.

Canadian environment minister John Baird says the search has "the allure of an Indiana Jones movie".

Retreating Arctic ice has made the Northwest Passage much more accessible and Canada is also using the search as a way of asserting its sovereignty over the region.

The exploration team is due to fly out on Saturday to join a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker that will use sonar equipment to search an area south of King William Island