This view of space captures the true extent of maritime congestion caused by the huge ship that blocks the Suez Canal – amid new fears that congestion could lead to piracy.
Satellite images show dozens of ships trapped in the Gulf of Suez – at the northern end of the Red Sea – while the 1,300-foot-long Ever Given is trapped diagonally in the channel, blocking its winding path.
The tiny Dover satellites operated by Planet, based in San Francisco, and the Pleiades satellite, built by Airbus, captured images of the flotilla waiting to enter the blocked channel, Space.com reported.
The mix of stranded ships includes at least 41 bulk carriers, 33 container ships, dozens of tankers and at least one Russian warship, The Drive reported, citing Lloyd’s List.
The fully loaded Ever Given – displacing 220,000 tonnes – was hit by unexpectedly strong winds on Tuesday that pushed it to the banks of the 673-foot-wide canal.
Meanwhile, several shipping companies from around the world have contacted the United States Navy because of the possibility that pirates may target their redirected ships, the Financial Times reported.
Rescue experts said the mess could take weeks, forcing the industry to consider anchoring billions of dollars worth 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 maritime companies about maritime security in the region, which has a history of piracy.
Zhao Qing-feng, an official at the China Shipowners’ Association, said the redirection of ships involves security considerations.
“Africa is at risk for piracy, especially in East Africa,” he told the news agency, adding that companies may need to hire extra security guards.
Willy Lin, chairman of the Hong Kong Chargers Council, said warships from several countries may be needed to protect ships in the area.
Although pirates have targeted ships throughout East Africa, there has been a recent increase in hijackings at sea and other maritime crimes in West Africa.
The US Navy told the Financial Times that naval operations have not yet been affected in the region, but companies feared that if the blockade continued, their ships could face risks.
James Wroe, head of maritime operations for Denmark’s Maersk Asia Pacific, wrote on social media that the decision to redirect the ships was a “dice roll”, according to the vehicle.
On Friday, tugboats and a specialized suction dredger worked to dislodge Ever Given while the nearly 240 other ships remained trapped indefinitely.
Using data from trackers from the Automatic Identification System on ships at sea, data company Refinitiv shared an analysis with the Associated Press showing that more than 300 ships remained en route to the waterway in the next two weeks.