Introduction

When an aging research vessel, the Krill America, is suddenly flooded by an underwater earthquake and dashed against the jagged edge of a glacier her seven surviving crew members are thrust into a perilous life and death struggle for survival against the freezing waters of Antarctica’s Southern Sea.

The Struggle for Survival

Badly damaged and barely afloat, the ship is the only hope of Max, an elderly Mexican seaman, and his fellow shipmates. Without electricity and facing diminishing supplies of food and water, the crew labors tirelessly to restore an antiquated engine in order to provide electricity and power. The persistence of their efforts is occasionally rewarded with temporary success only to ultimately fail and dash their hopes again.

Relationships and Challenges

Max recounts the events and describes the strained relationships among several crew members who compete for control and vie for the affections of Kat, the only female member of the crew. Eventually, the Krill America sinks into the sea and is gone. A dilapidated lifeboat is found and the exhausted crew huddle into it and hope desperately for rescue.

Conclusion

A surprising and stunning conclusion reveals a hidden secret that no one, least of all Max, suspects. Krill America has been described as a cross between The Old Man and the Sea and The Flight of the Phoenix.