A scary incident occurred in Argentina’s Port of Ushuaia on Tuesday, January 6, 2025.

According to local outlet El Diario del Fin del Mundo, two expedition ships collided while the port was battered by strong winds.

The ships involved were Viking Expeditions’ Viking Octantis and Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Voyager.

Wind speeds averaged at around 30 knots, but stronger gusts reached speeds of 40 knots (approximately 46 miles per hour), which is certainly strong enough to cause problems for smaller vessels.

What Really Happened?

The collision came after the 10,000-gross ton World Voyager broke free from its moorings due to the strong winds.

Specifically, the nautical rope that is owned and used by the small 198-guest ship snapped.

Video of the incident that was shared by Ushuaia 24 Noticias shows World Voyager hit the dock, before colliding with the 30,150-gross ton Viking Octantis.

“The collision occurred between the expedition ship World Voyager and the Viking Octantis. As it transpired, the Voyager came loose from moorings during an intense windstorm, slammed into the dock and collided with the other cruise ship,” Ushuaia 24 Noticias captioned the video.

Read Also: What Happens If The Cruise Ship Is In Bad Weather

The approximately 125 crew members onboard World Voyager are credited with quickly taking evasive action to soften the impact, but with the high winds there was simply nothing they could do to fully prevent the accident.

This also isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and it likely won’t be the last.

In the past year, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge, and MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape have all broken free from their moorings due to inclement weather.

How Bad is the Damage?

Thankfully, no injuries have been reported for the passengers and crew members who may have been onboard the two expedition ships.

The vessels themselves didn’t escape completely unscathed, but also did not suffer any major or structural damage that would make sailing unsafe. Both underwent thorough technical inspections following the collision.

The brunt of the impact occurred well above the waterline for both vessels, which helped protect their seaworthiness. Per the local outlets, Viking Octantis only suffered minor damage to a rear railing on one of its outer decks.

World Voyager received a crack in its bow, which is the ship’s front section, but the damage was not severe and the ship was not taking on water because of it.

Both ships were able to set sail as planned on the evening of January 6, and per cruise tracking data, are currently cruising at normal speeds of 13 to 16 knots.

Where are the Ships Going Now?

With the collision now behind them, Viking Octantis embarked on an 11-night sailing to Antarctica via the Drake Passage – which is notorious for being one of the roughest bodies of water in the world.

The 378-guest ship will visit the Antarctic Peninsula and Cape Horn (Chile) before returning to Ushuaia on January 17

World Voyager is similarly making her way through the Drake Passage as part of a 10-night expedition to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

It’s also business as usual at the Port of Ushuaia, where Silversea Cruises’ Silver Whisper and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Equinox called as planned on January 7.

Expedition Ship Breaks Free in Ushuaia and Slams Into Another During Windstorm