Passengers rescued from Antarctic ship
5th December 2008
Passengers have been rescued from the MV Ushuaia, which grounded in Antarctica yesterday, leaking fuel and taking on water.
Although the ship was not in danger of sinking, more than 100 passengers and crew were evacuated this morning onto a Chilean navy vessel and are now en route to Chile's Frei Base in Antarctica, from where they will be flown out.
The Ushuaia hit a rock and became stranded at 10am local time (1pm GMT) yesterday at the entrance to Wilhelmina Bay, near Cape Anna, on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Award-winning polar guide Martin Gray knows the area well: “It’s more of a channel or a wide fjord than a bay. The scenery is spectacular: you can get great bergs and lots of whales later in the season, plus Weddell and leopard seals,” he told Wanderlust.
Seven Britons were on board the Ushuaia, which is registered in Panama and operated by Antarpply Expeditions. The Ushuaia is a steel hulled, ice-strengthened vessel built originally for oceanographic research, and has been conducting tours since 2002. Other nationalities on board include 2 Irish, 9 German, 12 Americans, 11 Australians and 14 Dutch.
The Antarctic presents a range of navigational hazards, says Gray. “Many waters are very poorly charted. If you have to deviate from your channel for any reason – weather, engine failure or to avoid an iceberg – it’s easy to stray into less well-known waters.”
The incident comes just over a year after the MS Explorer, operated by G.A.P Adventures, sank close to the South Shetland Islands, forcing the evacuation of all 150 passengers and crew. Tourist travel to Antarctica is increasing at around 14% per year, with more than 40,000 visiting the region last year.