Though there was loads of chatter about latest fatalities on expedition ships crusing in Antarctica, there was little worry among the many greater than 100 friends aboard Swan Hellenic’s new expedition ship, the Vega, which in early December sailed the area from Ushuaia, Argentina.
Over two weeks in November, three folks died whereas on expedition cruises within the Antarctic area. Two passengers died throughout a Quark Expeditions crusing of the World Explorer on Nov. 15 when a Zodiac capsized close to Cape Lookout, Elephant Island. And a passenger died Nov. 29 on the Viking Polaris because it sailed towards Ushuaia, after a rogue wave incident, Viking mentioned.
Viking, in its first full Antarctica season, declined to supply extra particulars and mentioned it’s “investigating the info” and providing assist to the authorities, however the Related Press reported {that a} 62-year-old U.S. girl was struck by glass after the wave crashed by way of cabin home windows throughout a storm. 4 different passengers sustained non-life-threatening accidents, and authorities are investigating.
Quark, which has operated in Antarctica for 30 years, mentioned in a press release that “sea journey within the polar areas comes with identified dangers. To mitigate these dangers, we uphold rigorous security requirements supplemented with business trainings that each one workers take part in.”
Passengers and journey advisors, each on the ship and off, took the information in stride.
“Sadly, all journey comes with an inherent threat, and Antarctica much more so,” mentioned Paul Cathcart, proprietor of Virginia-based Never Travel Solo, who was crusing on the Vega. “My purchasers requested if I used to be concerned, if I am protected. However I do not really feel nervous. I simply at all times take the required precautions and hearken to the crew.”
Whereas it’s true that rogue waves, that are twice the dimensions of surrounding waves, are unusual, large waves are a truth of life in the infamous 500-mile Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica. “The Drake is a really deep ocean, and the forces that create the large waves listed here are very extreme,” mentioned the Vega’s captain, Timothy Cashman, as a result of collision of the Atlantic, Pacific and Antarctic oceans on the tip of South America.
Cashman mentioned crews should at all times be ready and vigilant in Antarctica. Even on a Polar Class 5 ship just like the Vega, with an skilled crew, he holds coaching classes for the bridge crew day-after-day. In the course of the week of the Viking incident, he canceled three scheduled landings on account of what he referred to as “nasty winds” however in any other case made no change to onboard procedures in gentle of the accidents. “Zodiacs are very robust, however if you happen to drive them into the wind going quick, they may flip,” he mentioned.
Onboard the Vega, the incidents have been now not a subject of dialogue after a day or two. However the Zodiac incident did unsettle Leslie Ryan, proprietor of Three Seas Journey in Charlotte. However driving them herself, twice a day for 5 days, modified her thoughts.
“I used to be very nervous in regards to the Zodiacs; I’ve by no means been on one earlier than, by no means been to Antarctica earlier than, and the water right here could be very chilly,” she mentioned.
“I took numerous video about driving the Zodiacs, loading the Zodiacs, getting out of the Zodiacs. Now I really feel fully snug, and I can inform [clients] from private expertise what it is like.”
Mary Jean Tully, founding father of Tully Luxury Travel, sailed back-to-back Antarctica expeditions on the Silver Endeavour and the Seabourn Enterprise simply after the Viking incident. She mentioned that whereas the occasions have been unlucky, they haven’t made her fearful.
“Individuals die in automobile accidents day-after-day on their solution to the airport, and tragedies happen,” she mentioned. “I have never had any purchasers say that they wish to cancel their journeys or have mentioned that it might deter them in any approach.”
Whereas not recognized as the reason for both accident, the incidents have raised questions in regards to the proliferation of ships crusing the waters of Antarctica, since they have to all draw from a shrinking base of skilled polar workers.
Ashton Palmer, president of Seattle-based Expedition Trips, was an expedition chief in Antarctica and mentioned that scarcity of workers makes him look carefully at how lengthy a line has been working within the area earlier than he books a consumer on a visit. He additionally questions strains in regards to the workers and their expertise degree.
“Simply as you’d if you happen to have been planning a visit to Europe, you’d need individuals who have been educated about the place you’re and what you’re doing,” Palmer mentioned.
Cashman, the Vega’s captain, additionally pressured the significance of getting very skilled crew in polar areas, particularly Antarctica. “The larger the waves, the extra you want skilled officers,” he mentioned, including that with extra ships and plenty of skilled folks retiring, “loads of younger persons are [part of the crew] for the primary time.”
___
Cheryl Rosen contributed reporting from the Vega in Antarctica.
