This Massive Container Ship Is Blocking the Suez Canal

A surreal photo going viral on Twitter shows a massive container ship stuck sideways in the Suez canal, blocking traffic in one of the world’s busiest waterways.

The image on Instagram was posted by user Julianne Cona, who explained in a post that the ship in front of hers “ran aground” while traveling through the Suez canal before getting stuck. She could not be reached for additional comment.

The awkwardly placed container ship has been identified as the Ever Given, which set off from the Suez port in Egypt on March 23 and was expected to arrive in the Netherlands on March 31. But it is unclear if the Ever Given will ever reach its destination on time. As of writing, it appears to still be stuck.

According to vessel tracking website VesselFinder, several tug boats have surrounded the Ever Given for hours in an effort to free the huge ship. But Twitter users who are following this bizarre event are rooting for one particular excavator that appears to be part of the massive dislodging operation. 

One of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, the Suez canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and sees about 40 transits every day. It is 120 miles long, 79 feet deep, and 673 feet wide.

The Ever Given is the maximum length of ships that are allowed to enter the Suez canal. It is also one of the largest container ships in operation.

Its unfortunate predicament has severely disrupted maritime traffic in the area, causing indefinite delays for cargo ships that need to pass through the canal, including oil tankers from Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United States.