Shipping containers can be seen floating in Wellington Harbour on March 6, 2015.

A shipping container on the loose in Wellington Harbour

One of the containers which was afloat in Wellington Harbour earlier is secured to a wharf.

Several shipping containers are on the loose in Wellington Harbour on March 6, 2015 after rough weather hit the region.

A tug in the process of securing a shipping container which was floating in Wellington Harbour.

A tug in the process of securing a shipping container which was floating in Wellington Harbour.

One container is secured while a police launch approaches another still floating in Wellington Harbour.

Strong winds blew three shipping containers off a wharf into Wellington Harbour.

The orange containers, apparently empty, were spotted by many office workers along the waterfront, bobbing on the choppy waves.

They fell into the water about 4.30pm, and were secured along side Aotea Quay by 7.30pm.

ROSS GIBLIN/ Fairfax NZ FLOATING: The containers had been blown off the wharf.

Two tug boats, a pilot boat and a police harbour launch were involved in retrieving the containers before they caused damage to sea walls, the marina and boats.

Harbourmaster Mike Pryce said of the three containers that came adrift, one was a '20 footer' and the other two were '40 footers.'

Pryce said the '20 footer' had been marooned on rocks on the western side of the harbour and the other two had headed in the direction of Clyde Quay.

Supplied Shipping containers floating in Wellington Harbour.

Maritime Police senior launch master Barry Hart said the one of the two containers was stopped by maritime police before it could smash into the sea wall at the Clyde Quay Marina.

The other was about to smash into the wall at the marina, near the former overseas passenger terminal.

It had earlier got on stuck on the side of the former overseas terminal but it had become dislodged.

They had blown off the wharf at CentrePort and appeared to be empty, he said.

It wasn't long before the containers garned a social media following on a Twitter account, proclaiming freedom.