MSC Zoe, one of the biggest container vessles in the world (with almost 400m in length), lost 342 containers while passing the Wadden islands in January 2019.
The combination of bad weather and shallow seas caused the vessel to heel more than 30 degrees and it presumably hit the seabottom as well which lead to the loss of the containers.
The disaster was a stark reminder that the sea cannot be tamed and we often have a false sense of control as humans over situations, ultimately leading to damage to our environment.
In the following clean-up operations many containers were recovered, but an incredible lot of our consumer society's products were lost to the sea and flooded our beaches.
Various NGO's cooperated in an attempt to clean up many of the remaining lost cargo.
NGO Duik de Noordzee Schoon put extra effort in localising hotspots where debris was still present.
Multiple diving expeditions have been organized (even through the Corona pandemic) to recover remaining cargo, which otherwise would slowly decompose into smaller particles.
Here is a trailer of one of the expeditions:
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