Rescue in the Antarctic

We received the distress signal around 1:45 in the early morning after Thanksgiving Day. A cruise ship was in trouble in the waters just north of the Antarctic Peninsula. We were on one of two other cruise ships in the vicinity, and sped about 60 miles to the scene. Five hours later, both ships arrived to pick up 154 passengers and crew who had been bobbing on the sea in lifeboats for more than four hours. Other than being uncomfortably cold, no one was injured.

The Explorer had apparently hit an iceberg and was listing badly when ... (more)

After a long flight to Santiago, Chile we took a shorter one to Ushuaia, the...

Our ship carried just 100 passengers. There it is on the left, dwarfed by the...

During the first two days as we sailed south, we saw very little wildlife,...

On the third day we spotted our first iceberg and took lots of pictures even...

The first mammal we spotted was a leopard seal sleeping on an ice...

But we did see birds including this little Arctic tern basking in the...

Every landing was a wet landing, but we were well prepared with heavy...

To the delight of us photographers, we were almost always greeted by...

They didn't seem surprised to see humans, and would come quite...

So comical on land, but so graceful in the water.

Just stand still and watch them go by.

We didn't need any warning to stand back from these huge southern...

On one island, two penguins posed nicely as they framed our ship that was...

And then we received the distress call: another cruise ship was in...

This Norwegian ship was designated the lead in the rescue since it...

Imagine 154 people bobbing around in lifeboats for more than four...

Our ship's crew getting ready to launch several Zodiacs .

Our little black Zodiacs raced to pick up those cold passengers in lifeboats,...

We certainly had a close-up view of the rescue efforts.

Its engine room had flooded, and the stricken ship was turning...

Here's the little red ship in happier days. The Explorer was more than 40...

The trip was over for the survivors of the Explorer, but our voyage had just...

article published 12/18/2007

Comments

Add a comment

Remarkable pictures
Your photos of the rescue are very special, Bob. And your images of Antarctica certainly capture the magical essence of this remarkable place. Thanks for posting. Phil
— Phil Douglis, January 20, 2008

Explorer seen from the NG Endeavour
Hi Bob, interesting photos and commentaries – as always very informative. You rightly stated that a smaller ship could go deep into Antarctic icy waters unlike huge ships (Infinity- http://travel.webshots.com/album/561866743KqWqfy ) you have captured on photo. On the day of Explorer sinking (Nov. 23, 2007) our cruise Infinity visited and stay docked in La Serena - http://travel.webshots.com/album/561657436WxJBUO , Chile. At that time, for us it was just two more days left cruising on Infinity. Probably next year we plan to return to SA and explore that region similar to your latest cruising escape. Thanks for sharing- your “travel report” is for us another excellent source of “homework” before our next travel. All the best –Happy New Year. Greetings, Rafal
— Rafal K Komierowski, December 28, 2007

Bob: .....and to think I knew you "when" you were a budding photographer practicing on the Rivera. Great pictures, great adventure! Regards to Pat. Babs
— Babs, December 26, 2007

Amazing first-hand account!
Be sure to put your primery-source testimony down in writing! It could be a valuable resource one day! God bless!!!
— Teresa Pangle, December 25, 2007

It is always very sad to see a ship go down and so poignant in that beautiful environment. Wonderful photos. Thank you from NZ.
— Margaret Sherwood, December 22, 2007

Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful pictures with us, they are simply breathtaking! What an exciting experience!
— Eleanor Robb, December 21, 2007

Bob: These are remarkable pictures of an extraordinary cruise, even without having encountered the tragic sinking of the Explorer. You are truly an artist. Thanks so much for including me in the distribution.
— Watt Clinch, December 20, 2007

Great article and photos. Also glad to hear it wasn't your ship that sank.
— Chris and Rich Hanley, December 19, 2007

Awesome pictures and adventure, Bob. You & Pat are true icons for the septuaginarian set.
— Joe Sunfish, December 19, 2007

Fantastic!
What an amazing, dramatic adventure. The penguins were so neat! Great pictures, great adventure - bravo!
— Monica Petrus, December 19, 2007

Amazing event and impressive testimony. Thanks for sharing your excellent pictures.
— Jose Manuel Echevarría and Pilar León, December 19, 2007

Wow!
What an experience you have shared with us. Happy Holidays to you too.
— Kathryn Hunt, December 18, 2007

Hi Bob, what superb dramatic photos of a very sad event that you have captured for posterity. At least, thank God, there was no loss of life. Thanks for sharing. Tony from England.
— Tony Ethridge, December 18, 2007

Bookmark with del.icio.us | Digg this article