Icebreaker battles to reach Antarctic ship Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis is battling to reach a cruise ship stranded in the Antarctic. POOR weather is hampering rescue efforts to free a research ship wedged in Antarctic sea ice for the past six days. But an Australian icebreaker is battling through the weather conditions and has so far come within 11 nautical miles of the trapped vessel. "The area is currently experiencing snow showers, resulting in poor visibility," said Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spokeswoman Lisa Martin. The Aurora Australis is travelling slowly due to the conditions to ensure the safety of all on board. The icebreaker arrived near the Antarctic coast at 2am (AEDT) on Monday in a final bid to break through the pack ice surrounding the MV Akademik Shokalskiy, located about 1500 nautical miles south of Hobart. More than 70 scientists, explorers and tourists from Australia and New Zealand have been stuck on the ship since Christmas Eve. He has continued to post updates about the rescue attempts on social media sites, saying the weather is poor but the sea ice around the ship appears to be breaking up. Cracks are developing around the bow. Hope this helps," he wrote on Twitter. High winds this am; sorry for limited comms. Set up tent on top deck. Aurora making good progress. Waiting game! The Aurora is the last ship in the area that will be able to help. If it can't battle through the ice, authorities will ferry the trapped passengers to safety by helicopter.