BUENOS AIRES - A large wave slammed into an Antarctic cruise ship with 88 American passengers and 77 crew members aboard, but the ship's crew overcame minor damage and was heading safely back to its scheduled port, the vessel's operator said.
The Clelia II declared an emergency yesterday, reporting it had suffered engine damage amid heavy seas and 55 mph (90 kph) winds when it was northeast of the South Shetland Islands and about 850km from Ushuaia, the Argentine Navy said in a statement.
The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators issued statement saying the wave that hit the Clelia II caused a broken bridge window and some electrical malfunctions that temporarily knocked out some communications and affected engine performance.
"There are no injuries to passengers, although one member of the crew sustained minor injuries," it said.
So the news is generally an encountering with a seemingly freaque wave with fairly good outcome all in all.
I don't know what size polar cruising ships generally are in the Antarctic waters. I am a little surprised to see Clelia II appears to be about the size of river cruise ships. One does not expect a whole lot of waves or even storms in the river cruise. But in the Antarctic waters, I heard people just go there to watch waves! Anyway I am happy about the basically minor damages. Thank God!
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