This view from space captures the true magnitude of the maritime traffic jam 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 trapped in the Gulf of Suez – in the northern end of the Red Sea – while the 1,300-foot Ever Given is wedged diagonally in the channel, blocking their meandering path.
Tiny Dover satellites from San Francisco-based company Planet and the Airbus-built Pleiades satellite captured the soaring images of the fleet waiting to enter the blocked channel, Space.com reported.
The stranded ship mix 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 tons – was hit by unexpectedly high winds on Tuesday that pushed it into the banks of the 673-foot-wide canal.
Meanwhile, multiple shipping companies from around the world have contacted the U.S. Navy over the possibility of pirates targeting their diverted ships, the Financial Times reported.
Salvage experts said it could take weeks to sort out the mess, forcing the industry to consider anchoring billions of dollars in cargo at sea or taking long – and potentially risky – routes across Africa.
A spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet told the Financial Times that it has received several inquiries from shipping companies in the past two days about maritime security in the region, which has a history of piracy.
Zhao Qing-feng, an official with the China Shipowners’ Association, said that diverting ships involves security concerns.
“Africa is at risk of piracy, especially in East Africa,” he told the news outlet, adding that companies may need to hire additional security guards.
Willy Lin, chairman of the Hong Kong Shippers’ Council, said warships from different countries may be needed to protect ships in the area.
While pirates have long been the target of ships in East Africa, there has been an increase in naval kidnappings and other maritime crimes in West Africa recently.
The US Navy told the Financial Times that naval operations in the region have not yet been affected, but the companies were concerned that their ships would be at risk if the blockage continued.
James Wroe, head of liner business at Denmark’s Maersk Asia Pacific, wrote on social media that the decision whether or not to divert the ships was a “dice roll,” the outlet said.
On Friday, tugs and a specialized dredger worked to dislodge the Ever Given, as the nearly 240 other ships were trapped indefinitely.
Using data from Automatic Identification System trackers on ships at sea, the data company Refinitiv shared an analysis with the Associated Press that found more than 300 ships continued to make their way to the waterway over the next two weeks.