Flotsam: the hidden danger

Most containers sink quite rapidly to the ocean floor once they hit the water. But depending on their contents, they may stay afloat for days or even weeks before sliding beneath the surface. This process can take even longer for refrigerated containers on account of their buoyant insulation. For example, one container that washed into the Atlantic off the coast of France rode the waves for eleven months before finally being deposited on the southern coast of Great Britain.

One Swiss marine biologist estimates the number of containers floating around the world’s seas at 12,000 at least. This number is alarming since these large UFOs (“Unidentified Floating Objects”) pose a significant risk to smaller ocean-going vessels such as yachts and fishing boats. The danger of collision is actually quite high, since sailors often only see these boxes at the very last minute since they barely break the surface. The ship’s radar is not much help here either, as it only picks up large objects above the water’s surface. There are regular reports of collisions and stricken yachts have to be salvaged. In the most serious cases these boats end up sinking.