A British steamship has been discovered beneath the Arctic, where it sank in 1877 while trying to traverse the Northeast Passage.

Two researchers from the Russian Geographical Society, which is chaired by President Vladimir Putin, found the wreck of The Thames in shallow waters on the Yenisei river near the village of Goroshikha, just south of the Arctic Circle.

Finding a way through the Northeast Passage was an obsession for explorers in the late 1800s.

The route was discovered in 1850 by Robert McClure, but not successfully navigated until a 1903-06 expedition led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

Until 2009, the Arctic pack ice prevented regular marine shipping throughout most of the year, but changes in the ice pack - believed to be due to global warming - have made it passable. The first cruise ship is due to travel the route this summer, setting sail on August 16.