Here is some news you don’t hear often—an expedition cruise ship has run aground in Greenland.
Aurora Expeditions Ocean Explorer grounded Monday, September 11, 2023, while exploring a remote area of the Arctic. No one was injured nor is the cruise ship any immediate danger. Arctic Command, which consists of the Danish Navy, the Icelandic Coast Guard, and other partners, are working together to rescue the ship.
Ocean Explorer was built in 2021 and is a smaller ship designed to explore the more remote areas of the globe. Its unique design is what makes it perfect for exploring places like the Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland where it ran aground. While there are no immediate reports of damage to the ship or the environment, Arctic Command is working to offer assistance as quickly as possible.
Joint Arctic Command’s inspection ship, Knud Rasmussen, is en route to Ocean Explorer, however at the time of the grounding it was about 1200 nautical miles away. Arctic Command anticipates the earliest it could reach the grounded ship and offer assistance is Friday, which is also dependent upon the weather.
Head of operations in the Arctic Command, Commander Captain Brian Jensen stated, “A cruise ship in trouble in the National Park is of course worrying. The nearest help is far away, our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavorable. In this specific situation, however, we do not see any acute danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring. We are of course following the situation closely and take this incident very seriously.”
The ship is still attempting to free itself by whatever means are possible, however, Tuesday’s high tide was not sufficient to help the ship free itself. Jensen explained, “They can either try to get free on their own when it gets high tide, they can get help from a nearby cruise ship, they can get help from Knud Rasmussen, or they can get help from one of our partners. Either way, the most important thing for us is that everyone gets to safety.”
Aurora Expeditions reported the ship can accommodate up to 134 passengers and the Danes are reporting there are a total of 206 people onboard. Another cruise ship is in the area and has been asked to remain nearby to assist if needed.