Ghost Ships: Japan Tsunami Ghost Ship

Japan Tsunami Ghost Ship: Ryou-un Maru
In 2011, an earthquake rocked northern Japan, Fukushima, and sent a tidal wave, known as a
tsunami, that destroyed most everything in its site. Entire cities disappeared instantly; and
when the water rushed back out to see, it carried all sorts of debris, from homes to cars, and
even ships that were once moored. Making matters even worse, a nuclear power plant was
severely damaged, sending radiation upon that part of the devastated country.

In March 2012, off the coast of
British Columbia, a ghost ship that
was taken out to sea with the
tsunami, appeared to the
amazement of news crews and the
Canadian people. There wasn’t
anyone piloting the ghost ship, and
who knows if any ghosts were
aboard the eerie vessel. No one
was seen on-board, and the ship
was not boarded to see if there
were any dead.

The ghost ship was originally
awaiting the scrap yard in Japan
when disaster struck. But by April
2012, it was floating in high traffic
shipping lanes of the Gulf of Alaska.

The U.S. Coastguard sunk the ghost ship by firing cannons at it with precision, sinking it with
explosives in about four hours. The ship's hull was riddled with holes, even catching fire before
drifting down 6000 feet to the sea floor.

The owner of the ghost ship didn’t want to claim it, and repeated attempts by other ship
scrappers to salvage the Ryou-un Maru for scrap went awry. It was simply too dangerous to
put people on the ghost ship to help tow it to shore. That was the final straw that led to the
ship's eventual demise after being at sea on its own for over a year.

Below: Video of the U.S. Coast Guard sinking the ship set loose by the Japanese Tsunami: