USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) transits alongside an Australian-owned cruise ship. (O2C Christopher Bokum/USCG via SWNS)
By Dean Murray
Incredible scenes show a stricken cruise ship being cracked free from ice in Antarctica.
Passengers from Australian-owned cruise ship Scenic Eclipse II looked on as a US coast guard boat conducted two close passes to break the vessel free.
US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star began icebreaking operations in the Southern Ocean in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2026 and marked its 50th year of commissioned service on Saturday (Jan 17) by freeing and escorting the cruise ship trapped in pack ice.
Crew from the Scenic Eclipse II contacted Polar Star on Friday after becoming beset in pack ice roughly eight nautical miles from McMurdo Sound.
Polar Star’s crew conducted two passes to free its hull, then escorted the ship approximately four nautical miles to open water.
Cmdr. Samuel Blase, Polar Star’s executive officer, said: "At 50 years old, Polar Star remains the world’s most capable non-nuclear icebreaker.
"That’s a testament to the crews that have maintained it over the decades. With years of service left to give, Polar Star will continue to guide the way in the high latitudes well into the future."
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