USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) escorts motor vessel Stena Polaris through the ice-covered Ross Sea to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2026 [Image 11 of 18]

ANTARCTICA

01.21.2026

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum 

U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area

Motor vessel Stena Polaris, the largest vessel to ever arrive in McMurdo Station, is seen through the USCGC Polar Star’s (WAGB 10) stern chock as the cutter escorts the ship through an ice channel cut through the frozen Ross Sea during operation Deep Freeze 2026, Jan. 21, 2026. The U.S. Antarctic Program, which carries forward the nation’s goals of supporting the Antarctic Treaty, fosters cooperative research with other nations, protects the Antarctic environment, and develops measures to ensure only equitable and wise use of resources. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum)

• Date Taken: 01.21.2026
• Date Posted: 01.29.2026 13:50
• Photo ID: 9498567
• VIRIN: 260121-G-FN033-1028
• Resolution: 8256x5504
• Size: 4.04 MB
• Location: AQ