Antarctica: Too Many Visitors?

Cruises to Antarctica are on the increase, but with this comes the risk of an accident like the sinking of the Explorer expedition vessel

The sinking of the Explorer expedition vessel in Antarctica has raised some scathing comments about the excesses of tourism in the region.

Although the Antarctic peninsula is enormous, expedition vessels tend to focus on a few 'hotspots' where they can land passengers by Zodiac inflatable. Environmentalists are concerned that the constant landing of sightseers between November and March is chipping away at this pristine region's integrity. Although most cruise operators behave responsibly and don't leave anything behind, some pollution is inevitable. By bringing in larger and larger vessels, the greater number of tourists is inevitably going to affect the wildlife and with the best will in the world, cruise operators cannot control the ignorant behaviour of visitors who pursue penguins and seals in the hope of getting the best shot for their photo album.

What's worse is that some enormous ships are now sailing in the region. These vessels cannot land passengers as the numbers are too great to make it feasible. But would you even want to be on one? Huge ships do not have ice-strengthened hulls like true expedition vessels. If one were to scrape an iceberg and start leaking fuel, the environmental impact would be unthinkable. Mounting a rescue operation for 3,000 passengers and up to 2,000 crew would be practically impossible. Ships sailing in Antarctica are supposed to be self-sufficient but there are no rules as such, merely guidelines.

It is not our automatic right to visit places like this. An expedition cruise to Antarctica is a special event and should be treated as such. It is expensive for a reason. While cruising may be making the world a smaller place, there are some areas that we must accept are only ever going to be appropriate for small ships and small numbers of visitors, however elitist that may seem.