Just a few short weeks before the Antarctic cruise season gets underway, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) has recommended further safety measures in the wake of several high profile accidents in the region over the past few years.
The IAATO is a completely voluntary organization, made up of companies that operate cruises in the Southern Ocean. In recent months it has taken a leadership role to ensure the safety of tourists traveling in the waters off the Antarctica, with their most recent recommendations detailed in a press release last week. These include continually reviewing information services that provide the most accurate and up-to-date information on weather and ice conditions, as well as staying abreast of changes in technology that may help keep the ships safer in the dangerous waters of the Southern Ocean. The IAATO also recommends that tour companies review their emergency procedures on a regular basis, practice onboard safety drills, and stress the importance of proper cold weather attire for passengers and crew.
Over the course of the past few years, there have been a series of close calls with cruise ships in the Antarctic, including the sinking of a ship called the Explorer in November of 2007, and two more vessels running aground during the cruise season last year. While none of this incidences resulted in casualties, they have led some to believe that it is only a matter of time before disaster strikes. This resulted in the IAATO making a series of recommendations like these to try to bring a higher level of safety to travel in the region.
Looking over these recommendations, it is kind of scary to think that the members of the IAATO have to be reminded of these things. They seem like they should be common sense and regular business practices to ensure safety of ships traveling in one of the more potentially dangerous regions of the world. Still, any measures that remind tour operators and travelers to be aware of their surroundings are probably good ones, and considering I’d like to travel to the Antarctic one day, I’ll make that journey more easily knowing that safety is a major focus.