Good News and More Good News

Quark Expeditions reported at 18:00 yesterday that its “Ocean Nova” had floated free of the rocks. Today it is heading up the Antarctic Peninsula, back to Ushuaia, Argentina though minus its passengers and crew, which were offloaded to the “Clipper Adventurer” earlier in the day yesterday … just to be safe.

Quark reports no tear in the ship’s hull, thus no leakage, which is a good thing. And lucky. According to Quark president Patrick Shaw: “We are grateful that no environmental damage occurred and that all travelers who were aboard Ocean Nova are safe.”

What I noticed yesterday when news of the grounding raced around the world - it’s incredible how fast news of tragedy moves these days, even from the planet’s most remote corners - was a definite decrease in appetite for another Antarctic accident. When the “Explorer” sank in November 2007, it was a very big deal to the world’s media. When the “Ushuaia” went aground in December 2008, it was again a big deal … I think because most of the media world assumed it would lead to another sinking. With the “Ocean Nova” there was a burst of interest, but now the media understands the difference between a grounded and a sinking vessel and there was a bit of a ho-hum emitted.

Which is concerning. I hope it’s not soon taken for granted that accidents in Antarctica are common place, thus less newsworthy. The reality is that each season there are more and more accidents - tourist ships hitting ice, rocks, etc. - and they need to be reported. My concern now, given the frequency of accidents along the Peninsula, is that in the very near future the only accidents in Antarctica to be deemed newsworthy are if there is a sizable leak, a sinking, a loss of life. All of which would be tragic for this still-pristine place.

One word of self-promotion in regard to the Antarctic Peninsula, “Paddler” has just published a very beautiful story drawn from our expedition last year by sea kayak, sailboat, foot and small plane. On the newsstands now!

Ocean Nova on the Rocks in Antarctica

Antarctica Without Ice?

M/V Ushuaia, Update

Ice, ice and more ice

Antarctica’s One Stop Shop