( CNN ) -- Passengers on a Russian polar expedition ship off Antarctica are getting a whiter Christmas than they probably wanted . The MV Akademik Shokalskiy , with 74 people aboard , got trapped in ice and is waiting for other ships with ice-breaking capabilities to reach it , the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said Wednesday . A British rescue coordination center received a satellite distress signal on Christmas morning from the Russian-flagged ship and contacted the Australian authority , which handles the Southern Ocean region where the vessel was stuck , an AMSA statement said . It pinpointed the trapped ship 's location as 100 nautical miles east of the French base Dumont D'Urville , about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart , Tasmania . Three icebreakers were headed to help the Russian vessel , the AMSA statement said , adding that none were expected to reach it before Friday . Expeditions Online , a polar booking agent for the MV Akademik Shokalskiy , said on its website that the ship got stuck `` part way through her Australasian Antarctic Expedition towards Mawson 's Hut at Cape Denison . '' `` According to reports , nobody is in present danger and three nearby icebreakers are being sent to assist , '' the Expeditions Online website said . It described the ship as `` a fully ice-strengthened expedition vessel '' for working in polar regions . `` This class of vessel is world-renowned for polar exploration , because of its strength , maneuverability and small passenger numbers , '' the company 's website said . CNN 's Kevin Wang contributed to this report .
Polar expedition ship with 74 aboard sends a Christmas Day signal . Other vessels are heading for the stranded vessel . The ship is stuck near Antarctica , 200 nautical miles south of Australia . The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is supporting the rescue .