This vision of space captures the true extent of the maritime blockade caused by the massive ship blocking the Suez Canal – amid new fears that the logjam could lead to piracy.
Satellite images show dozens of ships stranded in the Gulf of Suez – at the northern end of the Red Sea – while 1,300-foot Ever Date is surrounded diagonally in the canal, blocking their winding path.
The Tover Dover satellites operated by Planet in San Francisco and the Pleiades satellite built by Airbus captured the growing images of the flotilla waiting to enter the blocked channel, Space.com reported.
The mix of failed ships includes at least 41 bulk carriers, 33 container ships, dozens of tanks and at least one Russian warship, The Drive reported, citing Lloyd’s List.
The most fully loaded date – moving 220,000 tons – was hit on Tuesday by unexpectedly strong winds, which pushed it to the edge of the 673-meter canal.
Meanwhile, several shipping companies around the world have contacted the US Navy because of the possibility that pirates could target their redirected ships, the Financial Times reported.
Rescue experts said it could take weeks to fix the mess, forcing the industry to consider anchoring billions of dollars of cargo at sea or taking long – and potentially risky – routes around Africa.
A spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet told the Financial Times that it had received several inquiries in the past two days from shipping companies about the region’s maritime security, which has a history of piracy.
Zhao Qing-feng, an official with the Chinese Shipowners’ Association, said the diversion of ships has security considerations.
“Africa is at risk of piracy, especially in East Africa,” he told reporters, adding that companies may need to hire additional guards.
Willy Lin, chairman of the Hong Kong Transport Council, said warships from different countries could be needed to protect ships in the area.
While pirates have long targeted ships along East Africa, there has recently been an increase in sea abductions and other maritime crimes in West Africa.
The US Navy told the Financial Times that naval operations had not yet been affected in the region, but companies were worried that if the blockade continued, their ships could be at risk.
James Wroe, head of line operations in Denmark’s Maersk Asia Pacific, wrote on social media that the decision to redirect the ships was a “dice roll”, according to the press.
On Friday, the tugs and a specialized suction dredger worked to dislocate Ever Give, as the other nearly 240 ships were stranded indefinitely.
Using data from automatic vessel tracking systems at sea, the data company Refinitiv shared an analysis with the Associated Press, showing that more than 300 ships remained on their way to the watercourse over the next two weeks.