A luxury cruise ship became stuck on a reef this weekend near the uninhabited Fiji island that was once the setting for the film “Cast Away,” in which Tom Hanks and Wilson the volleyball were stranded on a desert island for years.
The ship, the MV Fiji Princess, was carrying 30 passengers and 31 crew members when became wedged on a reef near the uninhabited island of Monuriki, the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji said in a statement posted to social media. The vessel, which was severely damaged and taking on water after running aground on Saturday, remained stuck on Monday, according to local news reports.
All of the ship’s passengers were transported safely from the paralyzed ship, the agency said, and returned to Port Denarau on Fiji’s mainland, along with most of the crew members. (It is a far better fate than that of Mr. Hanks’s character, Chuck Noland, who was stranded by himself on the island for four years after a cargo plane crash and was forced to make fire, hunt food, and befriend an anthropomorphic volleyball named Wilson).
Officials were working frantically to contain the 20,000 liters of diesel fuel aboard the Fiji Princess, the Maritime Safety Authority said. There were no signs the fuel tanks had been damaged in the accident, but specialists were working to remove the fuel from the ship to prevent any unintentional pollution.
Blue Lagoon, the company that operates the ship, did not respond to a request for comment. In statements to other news outlets, it said a preliminary investigation showed that the Fiji Princess had encountered a severe, unexpected squall that caused the vessel’s anchor to become wedged on a shallow reef.
The cruise company’s website advertises cruises lasting from three to seven days, two of which include an overnight stop at Monuriki and a “visit to the film location of Cast Away.” According to travel blogs and visitors’ accounts posted to YouTube, the deserted island features logs on the beach spelling out “Help,” as Mr. Hanks’s character made in the movie.
Monuriki is part of picturesque island chain known as the Mamanuca Islands, a volcanic archipelago off the northwest coast of Fiji. Known for spectacular waters and marine life, the area features dozens of dive sites with shipwrecks, delicate reefs and vibrant ecosystems, including reef sharks, skipjack tuna and sea salmon.
The remote Mamanuca chain plays an outsize role in Western pop culture. Not only was it the setting for “Cast Away” in 2000, it has more recently served as the backdrop for the “Survivor” television series, which has filmed in the territory since 2016.
It is a well-known tourist destination, where local guides and cruise companies operate trips around the island chain, including tours of Monuriki with a “Cast Away” theme.
The setting has added urgency to the efforts to contain any pollution from the Fiji Princess, amid fears that leaking fuel could damage the surrounding reefs.
Officials said they had transported oil spill equipment to the site as a precaution and had enlisted the services of a salvage specialist from Australia.
Ali Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast.
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