One passenger was killed and four injured when a rogue wave struck the cruise ship they were traveling on during a storm in Antarctica earlier this week. there Viking Polaris was hit by stormy seas Tuesday night while sailing towards Ushuaia, Argentina. The storm created a huge wave that shattered several cruise ship windows, killing a 62-year-old American woman.
Broken windows on the Viking Polaris (afp)
Viking Cruises confirmed the ship was struck by a “rogue wave,” a type of wave that the US National Ocean Service describes as “greater than twice the surrounding swell.” The Viking Polaris — a luxury ship built that year that can carry up to 378 passengers and 256 crew members — sustained only minor damage and arrived in Ushuaia the next day. The four injured are not in mortal danger.
The cruise line has canceled Viking Polaris’ next voyage, scheduled for December 5-17. The US National Ocean Service describes rogue waves as “very unpredictable” and says they often come unexpectedly from directions other than the prevailing wind and swell.”