Icebreaker in the Antarctic. Close-up of the hull of the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov breaking a passage through Antarctic sea ice. This icebreaker was launched in 1981 as a Soviet icebreaker. It was refitted in 1990 as a tour ship, and is operated as an Antarctic cruise ship by Quark Expeditions. It is 122 metres long, and uses advanced ice-breaking technology. Photographed in 2018.