A ship trapped -a multi-country rescue, millions of dollars and the loss of a years' scientific data. How did things go so wrong, so fast for the Shokalskiy?

Antarctic rescue: What really happened on the ice?

THE Federal Government will seek the full costs incurred during the recovery effort to save the MV Akademik Shokalskiy.

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt yesterday said costs, estimated at about $2.4 million, would be sought from the insurer of the operators of the vessel.

Battle begins over Antarctic rescue bill

The MV Akademik Shokalskiy, chartered by the University of NSW-associated Australasian Antarctic Expedition to retrace the steps of explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, became stuck in thick sea ice on Christmas Eve.

The 52 passengers were rescued by the Aurora Australis on January 2.

Mr Hunt said the Commonwealth would seek compensation for the recovery effort.

"We will be seeking full cost recovery through insurers for the up to $2.4 million costs incurred by the Australian government," he said.

"We have a duty to protect life at sea and we do that willingly.

"However, what we see here is that there are some questions as to whether or not the ship was detained by the action of those on board within an area the captain had identified as potentially being subject to being frozen in.

"I think we have a duty on behalf of taxpayers to seek full cost recovery."

The leader of an expedition to Mawson's Hut said the trip had been completed and the Akademik Shokalskiy had moved on to a different location before it became trapped in ice.

Expedition leader Ian Godfrey said the ship had dropped his Mawson's Hut Foundation work party off from the western side of a giant 97km-long iceberg.

He said it was only after the eight-person expedition team had completed its 140km round trip across the ice that the ship had moved to the eastern side of the iceberg.

It was there that the ship was caught in an ice trap, sprung by 70km/h wind gusts.

Mr Godfrey said the ship had been caught by thick "multi-year" pack ice that towered 2-3m above sea level.