The Greenpeace ice breaker, MV Arctic Sunrise, makes slow progress through the Prince Gustav Channel between the Antarctic Peninsula mainland and James Ross Island through heavy ice.. It is believed to be the first time that a ship has circumnavigated the island. Previously a solid ice bridge connected James Ross Island with the mainland but with the collapsing of the ice shelves this has now broken away. Greenpeace want to highlight the collapsing of the ice shelves to focus attention on human induced climate change which is thought to be a factor in increasing temperatures in the Antarctic.

The MV Arctic Sunrise sailed a distance of 105 nm (nautical miles), from close to Marambio Station north then west and down the channel. It took 37 h (from 9:40 pm 31.1.97 to 10 am 2.2.97).

For more information on ice shelf disintegration.