It might have felt to some like a “Titanic” moment as a gigantic wave splashed down onto a luxury cruise ship.
A woman passenger from the United States died and four more passengers were injured when what was assumed to be a “rogue wave” hit the Viking Polaris luxury cruise ship on its way back from a trip to Antarctica.
The cruise ship was hit by the massive wave during a storm on Tuesday, November 29. The Viking Travel Company said the ship was traveling back to Ushuaia, Argentina, the starting point of the trip, when the wave struck.
The statement by Viking Cruises confirmed that one passenger had died from the incident.
According to Argentine police, the 62-year-old deceased woman, was hit by broken glass when the wave broke the ship’s cabin windows.
The other injured passengers received treatment on the ship for non-life-threatening injuries. The identity of the deceased woman was not revealed.
The ship sustained limited damage from the incident, and it docked in Ushuaia, almost 2,000 miles south of Buenos Aires, on Wednesday afternoon.
A passenger on the ship, Suzie Gooding, said that it felt like they had hit an iceberg. Even though there are no icebergs in that part of the ocean, that was her first thought when the wave hit the ship.
The Polaris cruise ship was in the Drake Passage, where the waters are known to be treacherous with rough seas and big waves. The Drake Passage is where the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet, between the southern tip of Argentina and Antarctica.
The Viking company canceled its next scheduled tour for the ship, which was scheduled for December 5-17 for the Antarctic Explorer itinerary.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes a rogue wave as a gigantic, unexpected wave that can be dangerous. According to the website, scientists call rogue waves “extreme storm waves,” which can be more than twice the size of regular waves. They can hit from a different direction than the wind and existing waves.
The NOAA says that the “killer waves”are unpredictable and look very frightening. They present as steep walls of water. According to the agency, the rogue waves are rare and not fully understood.
Although rare, hundreds of rogue waves have been encountered around the world, on cruise ships, cargo vessels, oil platforms and beaches. Over 400 similar incidents were documented between 2005 and 2021 as per the website of the Russian Academy of Science’s Institute of Applied Physics.
