Russian Ship Frees Itself From Ice in Antarctic

This undated file photos shows tourists taking pictures at the Antartic after they get off the...

This undated file photos shows tourists taking pictures at the Antartic after they get off the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov. The icebreaker carrying over 100 tourists and scientists to see emperor penguins in Antarctica has been crunching through pack ice and should reach clear water soon, a shipping official said Wednesday.

(Zelfa Silva/Antarctica Expeditio/AFP/Getty Images)
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A Russian icebreaker carrying more than 100 tourists, scientists and journalists on an Antarctic cruise has reached clear water after being halted for days by thick ice, its owners said Friday.

The Captain Khlebnikov icebreaker got stuck in sea ice earlier this week near Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea. It has taken the ship five days to free itself of ice, Fareastern Shipping Co. spokeswoman Tatyana Kulikova said Friday.

She said it would now take the icebreaker three more days to return to Ushuaia on the Argentine coast.

Kulikova said that Antarctic weather is unpredictable in the early spring. "It's impossible to avoid worsening ice conditions with rapidly changing weather," she said.

Officials said the passengers never were in any danger.

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"It's part of Antarctic tourism — we always warn passengers about possible delays," Vyacheslav Naganyuk, the head of icebreaker fleet at the Fareastern Shipping Company, said in a statement. "Tourists witnessed real difficulties of shipping amid the splendor of Antarctica, and I think they will keep special memories of it."

The cruise was advertised as a unique opportunity to watch emperor penguins in their natural habitat. The Finnish-built icebreaker has been used as a cruise ship for several years and carries two helicopters.

In Britain, Exodus Travels Ltd. said 51 British tourists were among the ship's 101 passengers.

Kulikova said the icebreaker is scheduled to make another Antarctic cruise in the fall.

A Russian travel agency advertises two-week tours to the area aboard the Captain Khlebnikov to see emperor penguins at costs ranging from $13,890 (euro9,350) to $22,690 (euro15,280) per person.

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