The "Polar Sea" (WAGB-11) is one of two United States Coast Guard Icebreakers stationed in the Pacific which alternatively provide the Ice Breaking support to the American "Operation Deep Freeze" program based largely in McMurdo Sound area of the Ross Dependency. Her sister ship is the "Polar Star".

For the 1998-99 Austral summer season, the "Polar Sea" spent 7 weeks in Antarctic waters visiting McMurdo Base only rarely.

The photo at left shows the "Polar Sea" alongside the oil tanker "Gianella" at the Ice Wharf at McMurdo Sound in January 1999.

2000-2001 season

Once again the "Polar Sea" provided Deep Freeze support for the 2000-2001 season arriving in the Antarctic via Sydney and Hobart in Australia.

The "Polar Sea" found the Ross Sea to be very difficult in the 2000-2001 season with very thick pack ice. This meant many days of hard work to open a channel through to McMurdo and then to keep the channel open. she then carried a crew to the giant B-15 iceberg on the other side of Ross Island before escorting into McMurdo the US Supply Tanker "Lawrence H Gianella", the supply ship "Green Wave" and the second Supply ship "Archangelgracht" all in turn.

The view above shows "Polar Sea" moored at the Ice wharf at McMurdo in January, 2001.

The reverse of the above cover is shown above.

Note: The above postcard has a large USAP sticker on its back as well as a McMurdo cachet.

The photo at right shows "Polar Sea" moored to the floating ice wharf at McMurdo (which has a dirt covering) with the McMurdo township behind.