In Search of the Last Continent

The Karluk disaster in the Arctic: a story of scientific ambition, isolation and survival, told in prose shaped by ice, wood and salt

In 1913, a vessel departed from Alaska with an ambitious objective: to chart and understand what was believed to be the last unknown continent on Earth. Aboard the Karluk travelled scientists from multiple disciplines, assembled for what would become the most far-reaching scientific venture ever launched into the Arctic.

The mission, conceived as a landmark moment for research and discovery, soon unraveled into catastrophe. Caught in the pack ice and severed from any means of communication or rescue, the crew found themselves facing an ordeal that would turn into one of the most harrowing — and least remembered — episodes in the history of polar exploration. The fate of the Karluk marked the closing chapter of an era: the final expedition carried out in the old tradition, beyond the reach of technology, infrastructure or outside help.

In Search of the Last Continent resurrects this forgotten story with the narrative drive of an adventure novel and the discipline of historical reconstruction. Through diaries, letters and original archival material, Javier Peláez rebuilds the portrait of a time when scientific ambition and personal courage were inseparable — when vast regions remained uncharted, and discovery demanded a willingness to risk everything.