A cruise liner that was built to withstand harsh climates on voyages to Antarctica but now lies shipwrecked on a Pacific beach surrounded by dense jungle has become a popular dark tourism attraction.
The MS World Discover, which cost the equivalent of £40 million in today’s money, was built to take passengers on once-in-a-lifetime trips to Antarctica – able to withstand icebergs and smash through huge ice sheers.
However, the cruise liner has been left to rot after being shipwrecked on its side in the Solomon Islands archipelago, on the shoreline of the Nggela Islands’ beautiful Roderick Bay.
The story goes that the ship was intentionally run aground by her desperate captain nearly a quarter of a century ago.
The German-built ship, constructed in 1973, was sold to Adventurer Cruises and sailed the Great Lakes cruise line, which runs from Chicago in the United States to Montreal in Canada. It boasted an observation lounge, library, lecture hall, swimming pool, sundeck and a small fitness centre.
In 1980, the ship was then registered in Liberia, where it underwent a costly refurbishment to make her suitable for trips to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Chile and Argentina. It also cruised to Alaska and the Russian border around the Bering Sea in the summer months.
A small fleet of dinghies landed passengers on various shorelines for the observation of local wildlife in the area. Each day consisted typically of two or three shore expeditions, led by geologists, historians, naturalists and marine biologists.
She had a 8,100-mile cruising range, allowing her to travel the Northwest Passage – a sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean.
However, on April 30 2000, Oliver Kruess, her captain, sent out a distress signal after the ship struck a large uncharted rock or reef in the Solomon Islands’ Sandfly Passage. Kruess brought the ship into Roderick Bay after she began to list 20 degrees. To stop the boat from sinking, Kruess deliberately ran her aground.
British traveller David Wright, who was on board at the time, told The Scottish Herald in May 2000: “It was just rammed into the beach, breaking trees in the forest, which stretches down to the shore.
“It was quite spectacular,” he continued. “When we reached the beach, we could see a tree hanging from the prow of the ship.”
While everyone on board was safely evacuated, the ship itself was not so lucky. Despite several salvage attempts, the World Discoverer remains at its final resting place. One attempt in 2000 was abandoned after shots were exchanged with a local tribe.
Today, she sits at a 46 degree list, with tidal activity causing more damage. Her surface has been continuing to rust and many of her windows have been removed. She is now a local landmark and a popular tourist attraction.