For 15 hours MV Explorer, the much beloved flagship of G.A.P. Adventures, had been floundering on her side as her captain and crew bravely battled the incoming Antarctic seawater. 
Finally, at 3:20 GMT on November 24, 2007, it was too much and "the little red ship" slid beneath the thin band ice in West Bransfield Strait and sank to a depth of nearly 5000 feet.
All 154 passengers, including captain and crew were rescued, but the sinking leaves behind a score of unanswered questions how such a tested marine traveler went down in less-than-severe weather. Simultaneously, it highlights the potential for the greater disaster that hasn't yet happened--the loss of a giant cruise liner in these increasing popular and dangerous waters. continued
