MV Explorer captain and first mate on MV NordNorge, en route to King George Island

The captain of the stricken MV Explorer and his first mate have joined other passengers and the rest of the crew, on board the MV NordNorge, according to a spokesman for her owners. The NordNorge is now en route to King George Island.
Onboard the MV Explorer were 2 Argentines, 10 Australians, 2 Belgians, 24 British nationals, 12 Canadians, 1 Chinese national, 3 Danes, 17 Dutch, 1 French, 1 German, 2 from Hong Kong, 4 Irish, 1 Japanese, 4 Swiss, 14 Americans, 1 Colombian and 1 Swede.

The status of the MV Explorer itself is unclear. A crew member on the NordNorge has been quoted as saying “She could sink at any minute.” On the other hand, there are several patrol vessels and a Chilean warship, at the scene, and a shipping expert has suggested to BYM News that the vessel may have been deliberately reballasted to heel her over and bring the hole out of the water. This would allow repairs to be made, since the hole is reported to be only about the size of a fist.
The Argentinean Coast Guard was unable to give BYM News any confirmation of reports on the MV Explorer’s status and has no further information.