About 90 Australians stranded on Ocean Explorer cruise ship in Greenland Arctic
- Australians aboard ship stranded in remote Greenland
- Support may not arrive until Friday at the earliest
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Dozens of Australians on the trip of a lifetime find themselves stranded in a remote national park in northwest Greenland after their luxury cruise ship ran aground.
More than 200 passengers and crew are on board the 104.4m-long Ocean Explorer liner which ran aground on Monday at Alpefjord in the northeast Greenland national park.
Around 90 Australians are on board the Norwegian ship, Sydney-based cruise operator Aurora Expeditions confirmed to Daily Mail Australia.
The nearest Danish navy ship, more than 2,220 km (1,200 nautical miles) away, is heading towards the site but is unlikely to reach the stranded vessel before Friday at the earliest.
Authorities assured that everyone on board was safe and that the ship had not suffered any damage.
90 Australians are on board the Ocean Explorer (photo from Tuesday) stranded in a remote region of Greenland.
The Ocean Explorer remains stranded in the Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland’s national park.
“All passengers, expedition team and crew on board are safe and well. What is important is that there is no immediate danger to themselves, the ship or the environment,” said an Aurora Expeditions spokeswoman.
“We are actively participating in efforts to free the MV Ocean Explorer from its grounding. Our main commitment is to ensure the recovery of the vessel without compromising safety.
“We also secured support from other nearby vessels should their assistance be necessary.
“As we continue to gather more information and progress in our efforts, we will provide further updates.”
The cruise ship has now been immobilized for more than 36 hours.
Danish authorities confirmed in their latest update on Wednesday that the ship remains stranded in the national park.
The Joint Arctic Command also released photos of the grounded ship, taken from Flyvevåbnet’s Challenger aircraft.
Joint Arctic Command remains in contact with the stranded liner. Pictured is an aerial photo of the stranded ship
The first attempt to refloat the ship at high tide ended in failure.
“The tide, which arrived during the day local time, did not provide the necessary assistance for navigation,” Joint Arctic Command said.
“Arctic Command is still in contact with nearby affected vessels that may have an opportunity to assist in freeing the cruise ship.
“There are still no reports that human life or the environment is in serious danger, and Arctic Command is monitoring the situation closely.
Joint Arctic Command Commander Brian Jensen added: “A cruise ship in trouble in the national park is obviously a cause for concern. »
“The nearest help is far away, our units are far away and the weather can be very unfavorable.”
Northeast Greenland National Park is the largest and northernmost national park in the world, known for the icebergs and muskoxen that roam the coast.
Completed in 2021, the Ocean Explorer can accommodate up to 134 passengers and offers voyages to “some of the most wild and remote destinations on the planet,” according to the Aurora Expeditions website.
The ship ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord, in the northeast Greenland national park.
