What is a rogue wave? 1 killed and 4 injured after Antarctic cruise ship struck by tide 

A rogue wave recently hit an Antarctic cruise, causing the death of one passenger and leaving four injured. The incident took place on Tuesday when the individuals were aboard Viking Polaris and it was hit by the storm. The ship was sailing through Ushuaia, Argentina, at the time.

Besides causing injuries and taking the life of a passenger, the storm was so strong that it caused a giant wave that broke several panes of glass on the Antarctic cruise ship. The fall of these heavy pieces on a passenger caused her death.

The news was also confirmed by the Viking Cruises website, where it was notified that a rogue wave incident had managed to damage the Antarctic cruise ship and take the life of one passenger.

The notice stated:

“It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident. We have notified the guest’s family and shared our deepest sympathies. We will continue to offer our full support to the family in the hours and days ahead.”

Viking shares a notice stating how four passengers have been injured due to the rogue wave, while one woman passed away. (image via Viking)

Viking Cruises claimed that the company is currently investigating the facts, and is ready to offer its full support to the relevant authorities. However, post this incident, people have been questioning what the rogue wave actually is.

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Is the rogue wave strong enough to cause deaths and injuries? More details about the Antarctic cruise ship incident explored

The rogue wave, often described as a large, unexpected, and dangerous storm in the sea typically develops from swells interacting with currents. The waves are strong enough to destroy and damage a ship. Some sailors also call this a "freak wave," as it is 2 to 3 times taller than the tallest average waves. At the same time, the incident that took place with the Antarctic cruise ship was also dangerous as the passengers claimed that the giant wave looked like a steep wall of water.

Speaking of its size, the rogue wave can be 15 feet (4.5 meters) to 50 feet (15.2 meters) in height. Furthermore, scientists claim that the first rogue wave ever observed in the sea was back in 1984, in the North Sea, when a 36-foot tall wave hit a ship. However, studies also claim that these rogue waves are not common, and occur once in 10,000 waves.

The same is being reported by passengers on the Antarctic cruise ship. Suzie Gooding, a passenger aboard, told WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, that it almost felt like the ship had hit an iceberg.

She said:

"Everything was fine until the rogue wave hit, and it was just sudden. Shocking. We didn’t know if we should get our gear ready for abandoning ship."

At the same time, Viking has canceled the ship’s next scheduled departure, which was set to sail from December 5 to December 17, 2022. The current ship, which arrived after the massive wave incident, sustained "limited damage" during the incident. Furthermore, the US National Ocean Service described the waves as "very unpredictable" as experts claimed that these can come from any direction, unexpectedly.