King George Island News

The global marine and offshore vessel management and support services provider V.Group said that its V.Ships Leisure unit has been awarded a contract by Antarctica21 for the technical management of the expedition vessel, Magellan Explorer.The 100-guest Magellan Explorer is currently under construction at Asenav in Chile and due to be delivered in October 2019, the ship management company company said.The vessel, which is being built to the new polar code and is uniquely customised for fly-cruises in Antarctica, will join Antarctica21’s fleet as the first newbuild for the Chile-based cruise brand, with their current fleet on charter agreements.Antarctica21’s President and Chairman Jaime Vásquez stated…

Following the launch of International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s film on the IMO Polar Code, a new video (watch video here) focused on search and rescued in polar regions is being published. The second video in a series on IMO in the polar environment takes a closer look at the challenges of search and rescue operations in polar regions, for example, how the current lack of marine infrastructure, coupled with the vastness and harshness of the environment, makes emergency response significantly more difficult in the Arctic and Antarctica. The limitations of radio and satellite communications to monitor and control ship movements in polar waters is another issue.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim experienced polar conditions at first hand during a recent visit to Antarctica (8-12 February). Shipping in waters surrounding the two poles has increased in recent years. IMO’s Polar Code entered into force on 1 January 2017, bringing in additional safety and environmental provisions for ships operating in these harsh, remote and unique conditions. Secretary-General Lim was hosted by the Chilean Navy during his journey to King George Island in Antarctica. In Punta Arenas, the southern tip of Chile, he met with stakeholders from various maritime organizations. They discussed the relevance of the Polar Code to ships operating in the polar regions and the need to promote safe and sustainable shipping.

The captain and crew of Holland America Line’s ms Veendam were honored by the Association for Rescue at Sea with a prestigious AFRAS AMVER Award for the 2015 rescue of a pilot who ditched his aircraft in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System was implemented by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1958, and the AMVER Awards were created in 1971 to recognize vessels that participate in the program. Holland America Line received the award at the annual Coast Guard Award Ceremony Sept. 21, 2016, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Veendam’s Captain Eric van der Wal accepted the honor on behalf of the cruise line.

Melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, impacting an entire seafloor ecosystem. This has been verified in the course of repeated research dives, the results of which were recently published by experts from Argentina, Germany and Great Britain and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in a study in the journal Science Advances. The scientists believe increased levels of suspended sediment in the water to be the cause of the dwindling biodiversity in the coastal region. This occurs when the effects of global warming lead glaciers near the coast to begin melting, as a result of which large quantities of sediment are carried into the seawater.

On Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, at 5:21 p.m. local time while en route to Lahaina, Hawaii, Holland America Line’s ms Veendam answered a request for assistance from the United States Coast Guard to rescue a pilot who had ditched his single-engine Cirrus SR-22 after he experienced a mechanical issue with the fuel system. The pilot was located approximately 225 nautical miles off the coast of Maui, Hawaii. In partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, Veendam was able to successfully rescue the pilot, who deployed the aircraft’s airframe parachute system and safely exited the plane into a life raft. Holland America Line crewmembers brought him aboard Veendam and provided him food and accommodations. The pilot, who was in good condition, disembarked today, Jan. 26, at Lahaina.

At 2:10 a.m. Jan. 3, 2015, while en route to Oranjestad, Aruba, Holland America Line’s ms Zuiderdam answered a distress call from the Bahamian inter-island vessel Excalibur that was sinking with eight crewmembers onboard. Zuiderdam was approximately 15 miles away and the closest ship in the area. Zuiderdam altered course and was able to successfully execute a nighttime rescue of all eight crewmembers at 3:01 a.m. The ship brought them onboard and provided food and accommodations. The rescued crewmembers debarked in Aruba on Jan. “Congratulations to the officers and crew onboard Zuiderdam for their quick response that saved the lives of eight people,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line.

Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd. announced that it has been awarded the contract for the support and maintenance of HMS Protector (A173), following a competitive tendering process. HMS Protector is the Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Ship, and is deployed on operations for 334 days per year. The vessel was chartered from commercial service by the Royal Navy in April 2011, and purchased outright in September 2013. HMS Protector’s home port is HMNB Devonport. In addition to the support of scientific bases in Antarctica, HMS Protector is also equipped for patrol, survey and humanitarian tasking.

A four-man team from Lloyd's Register will set sail today from Ushuaia, Argentina, as part of an international expedition to the Antarctic, lead by the renowned polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, OBE. The team of technical experts and eco-entrepreneurs will form part of the International Antarctic Expedition 2012, led by Swan, who has dedicated his life to the preservation of the Antarctic by promoting recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change. "We have had a long and beneficial relationship with Robert, the basis for which has been the common goals held by both of our organizations: to benefit society by helping to protect the environment and the lives of those who depend on it…

The Chilean Navy participated in a successful international operation rescuing a cruise liner's 100 passengers and 54 crew members after the boat crashed against an iceberg in the Antarctic Ocean. The 2,400-ton cruise liner M/S Explorer hit an iceberg early Friday near King George island in the Antarctic Ocean near a Chilean base and the Shetland del Sur islands. The cruise liner's captain and an official were the only one people to remain aboard until Friday morning, while the rest of the people remained all night in rafts floating in the cold waters. An emergency operation was carried out as soon as the accident occurred with the participation of military troops from Chile, Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States.