MV Akademik Shokalskiy

What is more powerful than an icebreaker? The answer is: the wind. Following a wind shift, the expedition cruise ship, MV Akademik Shokalskiy, and Chinese icebreaker Xue Long or Snow Dragon have broken free from the pack ice off Antarctica. The wind, which had been packing the ice against the ships, shifted, opening paths to clear water.

The Akademik Shokalskiy became trapped in the ice in Commonwealth, Antarctica on Christmas Eve. The Snow Dragon was the largest of three icebreakers sent to free the stricken ship. While rescuing the 52 passengers, using its helicopter to shuttle passengers to the Australian icebreaker, Aurora Australis, the Chinese icebreaker also became stuck in the pack ice. The America heavy icebreaker, Polar Star, which had been on its way to assist the ice-bound ships has returned to its original mission, breaking ice to the McMurdo base in the Ross Sea.