Sierra Blogging Post Archives

When a cruise ship went down in the icy waters of Antarctica last week, all 157 passengers on board were saved by a nearby ship. But rising in the wake of the disaster are questions about the safety of the Antarctic tourism boom -- both for people and the environment.

In the 1992-93 season, about 6,700 tourists visited the Antarctic, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. This season, that number more than quadrupled to 35,000.



Because Antarctica is not controlled by any one country, tourism is largely unregulated there. This is a cause for many worries. There's no coast guard, no governing board and no way to ensure safety. Commercial cruise ships and ships without the necessary hull reinforcements or ice breaking capabilities are flocking to the area... setting the stage for further disaster.

And what about all the marine animals affected by the increase in traffic and the sinking of the Explorer?

While the rescue may have been a success, the consequences for the Antarctic’s fragile environment of having a submerged ship that is estimated to be holding 48,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel sitting off its coast are unclear.

I think people want to see Antarctica now before climate change and warming alters its landscape forever, but it's clear that steps need to be taken to gain control of tourism in the region.

What do you think? Are we speeding Antarctica's demise by crowding it with huge cruise ships and tourist vessels?