Are there large abandoned ships in the ocean?
Are there large abandoned ships in the ocean? Ghost ships are not unheard of but they are rare. The Alta is even more unusual for how long it drifted – almost 18 months in total – during which time it was battered by huge storms and shifted by strong currents. And, during that whole time, it was only spotted once.
How many ships go missing at sea each year?
There were 49 large ships totally lost in 2020, basically unchanged from 48 in 2019, according to latest data from Allianz. Safety & Shipping Review 2021 reports that annual shipping losses are now half of the total recorded ten years ago.
How many abandoned ships are floating in the ocean?
In 2020 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) database listed 438 ships worldwide, with 5,767 crew members, abandoned since 2004; not all cases are referred to the IMO, so the actual number is larger, but unknown. In 2020, by August 470 seafarers on 31 vessels had been abandoned.