MS Arctic Explorer was a ship which sank off St. Anthony, Newfoundland, in the Strait of Belle Isle, on 3 July 1981.

[1] At the time of her loss, Arctic Explorer was owned by the Newfoundland company Carino and charted to Geophysical Service for the purpose of conducting seismic surveys off the Labrador coast for British Petroleum.

[2][3] She departed the port of St. Anthony early on the morning of 3 July, and at about 07:40 local time began listing to starboard in the Strait of Belle Isle, according to a survivor.

[3] A DHC-5 Buffalo was dispatched from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, and searched the ocean near St. Anthony all afternoon with no result.

[5][3] The icebreaker Grenfell rescued the raft and its occupants; later in the day, eight bodies were located, while the remaining five crewmembers were never found.