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Tourism in Antarctica is self-governed by the [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, which recommends 500 as the maximum capacity for a ship visiting Antarctica. Passengers should only be put ashore at a maximum of 100 per hour; the landing sites simply can’t handle any more. Tourists on larger vessels have to be content with the view from the deck.
Fortunately there was no loss of life and luckily for the passengers and crew, a Hurtigruten vessel, Nordnorge, came to the rescue, but the incident is a reminder that cruising to Antarctica, one of the world's most fragile and remote regions, carries a strong element of risk.
Pressure groups like the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), a global coalition of environmental NGOs, say that the damage from fuel spillage if a ship were to run aground would be unthinkable [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], not to mention the impossibility of rescuing 3,000 passengers and 2,000 crew from a stricken vessel. Explorer was small at 2,400 tonnes; Nordnorge and the other vessel which carried the 150 passengers and crew to safety could in no way have coped with a giant cruise ship in distress.
These are guidelines only, though, and there is nothing to stop big ships bringing people to Antarctica. But is this really the way forward for tourism in this fragile region?
Antarctica is one of the least charted, most challenging places on Earth [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], yet big cruise ships carrying up to 3,000 people are beginning to offer cruises through its icy channels, alarming environmentalists.
The Antarctica expedition vessel Explorer sank today, November 24, having hit an iceberg just off the South Shetland Islands 24 hours ago.
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Semi-circumnavigating Antarctica by ice-breaker