Cruise Ship MV Ocean Explorer, Which Ran Aground In Greenland, Pulls Free After 4 Days

Luxury cruise liner MV Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Greenland with 206 passengers on board.

MV Ocean Explorer.

Source : Instagram@pazzoperilmare

Luxury cruise liner MV Ocean Explorer, which ran aground on Monday in Greenland with 206 passengers on board, was successfully freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, according to the ship's owner, SunStone Ships, and the Arctic Command coordinating the operation. The vessel was pulled free with assistance from the Greenland government's ship, Tarajoq. The ship pulled free using its own power. There was no injury, environmental pollution, or hull breach in the incident, reported news agency AP.

Passengers on the cruise ship, flying the Bahamas flag, had passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, and the US. It will now be taken to a port for damage assessment and the passengers will be provided flights back to their homes, reported news agency Reuters. The tour company organising the trip, Aurora Expeditions, is yet to issue a statement.

The cruise ship had run aground above the Arctic Circle in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park, the world's northernmost national park. Alpefjord is approximately 240 kilometres (149 miles) from the nearest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, and 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from the capital, Nuuk.

The MV Ocean Explorer features an inverted bow resembling a submarine and has 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds, 99 crew beds, and multiple restaurants. The owner had arranged additional tug assistance but later cancelled it, AP reported.

Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that three passengers on the ship had tested positive for Covid-19. These passengers were isolated and under medical care by the ship's medical team, with the remaining passengers reported as "safe and healthy". Despite the incident, the passengers were in good spirits, the AP report stated. The cruise liner began its trip on September 2 in Arctic Norway and was scheduled to return to Bergen, Norway, on September 22.

Every year, several cruise services offer passengers the chance to take in the picturesque mountainous landscapes, fjords, and icebergs of Greenland. In 2022, there were 400 cruises in Greenland, and the number rose to 600 in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority has requested that Greenland Police investigate the incident to determine if any laws were violated. No arrest has been made yet, but the initial probe has begun.