For those of us who knew the Explorer, watching the footage from the Chilean Navy of the ship listing to starboard surrounded by ice was a solemn moment. She was among the first ships to pioneer expeditionary cruises. Equipped with an ice-hardened hull she was designed for the waters of Antarctica. From the simple but comfortable interior, ardent adventurers learned about a part of the world few people will ever see – The Great White Continent.

Luckily all onboard were safely rescued. Three ships responded to the Explorer’s distress calls. The Norwegian, Nordnorge, picked-up all 91 passengers and 54 crew taking them to King George Island where they were flown back to the mainland and then home.

For me, the sinking of the Explorer raises more than issues of safety in ice prone areas; it calls into question whether or not non-scientific vessels should be allowed in Antarctic waters at all. Environmentalists agree that Antarctica is the last pristine spot on earth and its ecology is fragile. The consequences of more and more ships built to even less physical specifications than the Explorer, sailing with limited restriction in Antarctica is asking for trouble. Ten years ago only two or three ships included Antarctica on their itineraries, today there are over a dozen. With growing concern for global warming and its effect on places like Antarctica, well meaning travels want to experience the area in its support. The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty System will no doubt be thinking about stricter measures to limit the area and frequency of cruise ship calls in this environmentally sensitive, politically neutral territory.

If you have not read any of the articles on the Explorer, I recommend the following that appeared online in National Geographic.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071124-AP-cruise-ship_2.html