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Aa dead humpback whale was found near Grace Islands, after the 'Queen of Surrey' struck a whale while navigating the waters between Gambier and Keats islands on Oct 19. The whale was thrashing in the water after the impact, visibly injured and leaving a reddish hue in the wake. The ferry did not reduce speed after the collision, creating concerns over the lack of communication from the crew regarding the incident and any subsequent action. The MERS has now confirmed that a deceased humpback whale has been located in the vicinity of the incident position. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) responded to the report. Recovery efforts for the whale carcass were commenced. BC Ferries has acknowledged the situation and confirmed that their crew spotted the deceased whale, subsequently reporting it to the DFO. It remained, however, unclear whether the deceased whale was the same one that was struck or the cause of its death. The whale had surfaced suddenly, providing the crew with little time to react. Humpback whales are currently frequenting the waters around Vancouver Island to feed before embarking on their lengthy migrations to warmer waters. This period of intense foraging might impair their awareness of surroundings, making them particularly vulnerable to strikes. The MERS has proposed multiple solutions aimed at enhancing situational awareness for large vessel operators. One of the recommendations included the use of the Whale Report Alert System, which had previously reported sightings of humpback whales in the affected area. Furthermore, acoustic detection tools and infrared cameras for better whale monitoring were suggeted, as well as the implementation of speed reductions for large ships in critical whale habitats.

The company Aras Salvage was contracted to take the 'Anna S' from Russian waters to a repair facility in Tuzla. On Sep 1, the severely damaged bulk carrier was towed through the Bosphorus by the tugs 'Kurtarma 6' (IMO: 9463176), 'Kurtarma 7' (IMO: 9598608), 'Kurtarma 9' (IMO: 9598581), 'Kurtarma 14' (IMO: 9913585) and 'Nazım Tur' (IMO: 9513086) of Coastal Safety, assisting the leading tug 'Tedy' (IMO: 9059200) of Aras Salvage. On Oct 25 it was observed in the shipyard area of Yalova. Report and photos: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/4033229?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.haberdenizde.com/denizde-gundem/anna-s-turkiyede/?fbclid=Iwb21leAUHn8hjbGNrBQefu3Bkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeDZE9cOASVTzV_LVvUqDV9yeQbhwlR5vEhNErigQM1_thoGFAw_vDPjdkSFE_aem_MKWuaB2fobZ9H9ItuhB3ZQ https://www.facebook.com/share/19QGMqQGxo/ https://www.forum-schiff.de/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=233673#p233673

Experts from the Lloyd Yard Bremerhaven were on board both the 'Mein Schiff 3' and 'MSC Victorine' to assess the extent of the damage. Reportedly, the cruise ship was to be moved to Lloyd Werft on Oct 30, but would not be drydocked. The initial plan was apparently to repair only the most serious damages and make the ship seaworthy again. Shorter cruises with a reduced number of passengers should then be possible. The 'MSC Victorine' was to be moved to a different shipyard quay for repairs. Regarding the cause of the allision, it looked like the wind that was prevailing at the time of departure was taken into account correctly, considering that the actual departure went smoothly. The cruise ship pulled away cleanly from the pier and immediately gained speed to maintain sufficient rudder power and control against the wind. However, shortly after departure, a very strong gust apparently hit, and it was no longer possible to counteract it, neither with the ship's own power nor with the additional tugs. As the gust was significantly stronger than anticipated, while still maneuvering relatively slowly and at close range to other vessels, there was no way to react. The question was whether it was foreseeable that such an extreme gust would occur. What was particularly unfavourable was that it was a very strong westerly storm, and the Strom Quay runs almost directly north-south. There were no sailing bans on the Weser River due to the wind conditions.

On Oct 14, 2026, the 'Luzon' transited the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles with apparent fire damage, possible originating from a drone attack, in the accomodation area. The ship, coming from the Black Sea, was underway using its own engine, but with assistance of a tug of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety. The ship was docked at a shipyard in Ermoupolis on Oct 16 for repairs. Photo: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/4033247?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest

When the cruise ship 'Mein Schiff 3' (IMO: 9641730) embarked on a 20-day voyage to the Canary Islands from Bremerhaven on Oct 25 at around 5 p.m., with 2,428 guests and 922 crew members on board despite stormy weather conditions with wind gusts of 35 knots, assisted by tugs, the vessel ran into difficulties near the container terminal. Strong gusts of wind caught the 'Mein Schiff 3', making it impossible for the ship to maintain its course. While it still managed to pass the 'MSC Anne F' (IMO: 9347803) at the Strom Quay, thought this allegedly also suffered slight damage, short time later it allided with the 'MSC Victorine', which was berthed at the MSC Gate in pos. 53° 35' N 008° 32' E. The assistance tug 'Fairplay 91' (IMO 9932177) retreated in the last moment in the space between the two container ships, along with the tugs 'Svitzer Rota' (IMO (IMO 9760859) and 'VB Evolution' (IMO: 9691357), which was connected to the bow of the 'MSC Victorine' at the MSC Gate in pos. 53° 35' N 008° 32' E. On the starboard side, the forward boat davits were torn off, and four lifeboats were destroyed. Their numbers were 1, 3, 5, and 7. Deck 5 and 6 as well as the bridge suffered damages too. A crack approximately ten meters long was torn into the hull of the container ship at the Strom Quay, and a cell guide was damaged at port side. Some containers also suffered damage. Following the impact, the 'Mein Schiff 3' returned to the Columbus Quay, where a thorough assessment of the damage to the cruise ship began. No one was injured in the accident. The cruise line has not yet disclosed the full extent of the damage. TUI Cruises stated that further information would be provided as soon as more definitive details were available. The Canary Islands cruise scheduled for Oct 25 to Nov 14 would not be able to take place, as the cruise ship no longer had a full complement of lifesaving equipment at its disposal. The vessel first had to undergo inspection and repairs, and subsequently receive clearance from both a classification society and the flag state. The destruction of the lifeboats was expected to present particular challenges. Both ships were banned from sailing. The Bremerhaven water police and the Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) have begun their investigation into the cause. The actual cruise was cancelled, and the cruise ship will have to enter a shipyard for permanent repairs. The passengers had to disembark the ship on Oct 26 until 6 p.m. The ship will have to enter a repair yard, and the shipping company must now order new rescue boats from the manufacturer. They will be built from fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The production, outfitting, and acceptance testing of each boat was expected to take one to two weeks in series production. Furthermore, the hull of the vessel has sustained significant damage. all of which must be repaired. The costs for this were expected to run into the millions. The police has launched an investigation against the captain. According to the current sailing plans, the 'Mein Schiff 3' was scheduled to begin its winter program in Kiel on Dec 2. This date was expected to be met. The ship could also be deployed with a reduced number of lifeboats following emergency repairs. However, in accordance with SOLAS regulations, the shipping company would then have to reduce the number of passengers on board. The 'MSC Anne F' was able to leave Bremerhaven on Oct 26 enroute to Haugesund with an ETA as of Oct 28. Reports with photos and videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrRrbcEJYEc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OfDlo8tMUQ https://www.nordsee-zeitung.de/bremerhaven/mein-schiff-3-kracht-in-containerschiff-425817.html https://bnn.de/nachrichten/deutschland-und-welt/mein-schiff-3-soll-nach-unfall-in-die-werft https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/mein-schiff-3-rammt-containerschiff-reederei-trifft-schwere-entscheidung/5054504 https://www.moz.de/nachrichten/panorama/kreuzfahrt-ist-abgesagt-mein-schiff-3-muss-zur-reparatur-79611230.html https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/panorama/dpa-video-zeigt-unfall-in-bremerhavenkreuzfahrtschiff-mein-schiff-3-kollidierte-mit-containerschiffen--polizei-nennt-ursache-16200745.html https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/nach-kollision-reise-von-mein-schiff-3-abgesagt,meinschiff-110.html https://www.butenunbinnen.de/nachrichten/kreuzfahrtschiff-mein-schiff-drei-crash-lloyd-bremerhaven-100.html https://www.news5.de/news/news/read/43717 https://youtube.com/shorts/hP4LM2sqcBQ?si=_RfTeQs-JI2ZFeUK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TXsdOEugkZI https://www.facebook.com/reel/1566601018604503 https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/4032951?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/4032952?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest