The Greenland police are currently investigating how a luxurious cruise ship became stranded in the Arctic mud. Thankfully, all passengers are safe. The police have initiated this inquiry to understand why the luxury cruise ship ended up stuck in a remote area of Greenland.
Four days after a fancy cruise ship got stuck near the Greenland coast, the local police have started looking into what happened. They want to find out why this luxury cruise ship ended up stuck in the mud in a far-off part of the Arctic island.
As part of their investigation, a police officer aboard the ship is talking to the crew to learn if any wrongdoing took place on the boat. So far, no one has been charged or arrested, according to information shared by the police with Bloomberg.
For the past four days, all efforts to release the stranded boat have been unsuccessful. The Ocean Explorer got stuck around noon on Monday, and since then, three attempts have been made to free the vessel, but none of them have been successful.
On Wednesday, they tried to use a fishing boat to remove the ship, but it didn’t work due to the high tide. The passengers who are stuck on the ship are safe and not facing any difficulties. However, there was a case of COVID-19 on board. A couple tested positive for the virus, and they have been isolated from the other passengers. Thankfully, as of now, they are not experiencing any serious health issues.
The ship has about 200 people on board, with most passengers coming from Australia. It’s stuck in the muddy seabed of the Alpefjord, which is approximately 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) northeast of Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. The nearest navy vessel is en route to assist in the rescue, but it’s been slowed down by bad weather. As a result, it’s now expected to arrive at the scene on Friday evening, a bit later than initially anticipated.
Increasing risk of tourism in Arctic areas
The situation the vessel is facing, along with the delay in getting help, brings attention to the risks of tourism in Arctic regions. In these remote areas, the distances are vast, and assistance can be days away. Nevertheless, the allure of witnessing stunning icebergs and the possibility of encountering rare creatures like polar bears continue to draw increasing numbers of tourists.
The ship has made at least two attempts to use high tide to free itself, but the powerful suction created by the mud, made up of sediment, sand, and silt, is keeping it firmly stuck. In online discussions, Greenlanders were quick to point out that the greenish water in the fjord serves as a clear warning sign of glacier mud, something a local seaman would know to avoid.