Salvage teams in Fiji are currently engaged in efforts to avert an oil spill following the grounding of a cruise ship near Monuriki Island, the location made famous by the 2000 film Cast Away starring Tom Hanks.
The vessel, known as Fiji Princess, operated by Blue Lagoon Cruises, ran aground on a reef close to the uninhabited island on Saturday, as reported by Fiji’s maritime rescue agency.
All 30 passengers and 17 of the ship’s 31 crew members were safely evacuated on the same day, with no injuries reported.
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) stated that their officers arrived at the scene to evaluate the damaged ship on Saturday. An initial assessment revealed significant damage to the vessel’s rear left side, including the area housing the steering apparatus. The underside of the ship also sustained harm.
Additionally, the vessel experienced engine failure and was reported to be taking on water after the incident. Due to rough sea conditions and strong waves, officials could not conduct a safe underwater inspection at that moment.
On Monday, the primary focus for MSAF was to minimize the risk of environmental pollution. The ship was carrying approximately 20,000 liters of diesel fuel. Authorities had brought oil spill response equipment to the site as a precaution; however, the adverse sea conditions prevented its deployment.
At the time of the inspection, there were no indications of damage to the fuel tanks, according to an MSAF spokesperson. Salvage teams, with the help of an Australian salvage expert, are working to extract the fuel and oil from the vessel.
Once weather conditions improve, additional operations will commence to safely recover the ship, the spokesperson noted. “MSAF is prioritizing the safety of all personnel involved, the protection of Fiji’s marine ecosystem, and ensuring that recovery efforts proceed without incident,” they added.
MSAF plans to maintain close collaboration with the vessel’s operator and response teams, providing updates as necessary.
Monuriki Island, located roughly 45 kilometers west of Nadi, was the site where the 2000 movie Cast Away was filmed. It is part of the Mamanuca Island group, which has also served as a filming location for the US version of the reality show Survivor since 2016.
Blue Lagoon Cruises promotes the Fiji Princess as a smaller vessel capable of getting near the shore, allowing guests to tie off to a coconut tree and swim to the beach.
Evacuated passengers and crew members were transported back to Port Denarau, while the remaining crew are assisting with salvage operations and are being housed on Cougar, the sister ship of Fiji Princess, for safety reasons.
