Cruise ship stranded in Antarctic with 122 aboard
According to Reuters, a luxury Antarctic cruise ship carrying 122 passengers and crew has started to take on water and leak fuel after running aground.
Argentine Navy Admiral Daniel Martin said a nearby passenger ship was on its way to the stricken Panamanian-flagged vessel, called the Ushuaia, after the Argentine port in Tierra del Fuego from which it sailed on Sunday.
He and the boat’s captain, who also spoke to local media, said none of the boat’s passengers had been injured and contingency plans were being followed.
“The aim is to get the passengers off as soon as possible and this they’re going to do with the Atlantic Dream, which will soon be arriving there,” he said, referring to the nearby cruise ship being sent to the rescue.
He said the ship lay some 300 km southwest of Argentina’s Marambio military base on the Antarctic Peninsula, in a sheltered strait near Isla Bravante.
Neighboring Chile, which like Argentina has an Antarctic territory, offered to help in the rescue with vessels and helicopters it has nearby.
The Chilean navy said in a statement the crew on the stranded vessel had taken containment measures to prevent the fuel leak from polluting the sea.
Tourism to the Antarctic region has increased five-fold since the early 1990s, as tens of thousands of people cruise during the southern hemisphere summer to see towering icebergs, seals, whales and penguins.
A year ago, more than 150 crew and passengers, many of them elderly, escaped unhurt in a dramatic rescue after their cruise ship hit ice off Antarctica and sank. In that incident people were evacuated and sat in open lifeboats for several hours in freezing temperatures before they were picked up.
But this time it appeared the passengers would be able to await rescue on board the Ushuaia, which is operated by Antarpply Expeditions, based in the city of Ushuaia, which lies some 3200 km south of Buenos Aires.
The company’s website says the Ushuaia was originally built for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was refurbished as a cruise ship.
A Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists