Yesterday, we touched briefly upon on the Argentine passenger vessel, Ushuaia, that ran aground Thursday on Antartica's western peninsula. We are now seeing reports that all 89 passengers and 33 crew members have been safely removed from the ship. AFP writes: They were taken off the cruise liner Ciudad de Ushuaia, which became stuck Thursday in Wilhelmina Bay, part of the … [Read more...]
M/V Explorer Found
BitterEnd reports that the Royal Navy Ice patrol ship HMS ENDURANCE, which amongst other tasks is carrying survey work in the Antarctic on behalf of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) to improve Safety of Life at Sea products and services, has located the wreck of a cruise liner which sank last year. Listen to our podcast on the M/V Explorer sinking HERE then read … [Read more...]
Antarctic Eco-Tourism – Yet Another Close Call
Just over a month since the "little red ship" M/V Expoloer sunk in icy antarctic waters a second "Eco"-tourism cruise ship has hit an iceberg. Global-National tells us: BUENOS AIRES — A Norwegian cruise ship with more than 300 people on board struck an iceberg as it drifted in the waters of Antarctica after an engine failure, Argentine officials said today. The MS … [Read more...]
Cruise Ship Explorer Antarctic Abandonment – Update
David Hindin, a gCaptain reader from the San Francisco Bay Area pointed us to this image and audio file from the New York Times. They tell us; A small, historic cruise ship with an imperfect security record was listing dangerously after it struck ice in Antarctic waters today, with 154 passengers and crew members evacuated in a flotilla of lifeboats and inflatable boats, the … [Read more...]
Abandoning Ship in Icey Waters – Breaking News
(Note: We made an error, the above photo is of the EXPLORER II) In breaking news the BBC tells us; More than 150 tourists and crew have been rescued off Argentina from an expedition ship, after it hit ice. The M/S Explorer began listing close to King George Island in the Antarctic Ocean, near the South Shetland Islands. Susan Hayes, of Gap Adventures, which owns … [Read more...]