OCEAN: Maersk Sana and Invictus Adrift & more – 20th May 2025

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 20th of May twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

The Maersk Sana has drifted in the Atlantic Ocean for over two weeks following an engine room explosion on the 28th of April. The blast, which happened about 355 nautical miles east of Bermuda, injured three crew members; one is still hospitalized in stable condition in the US. Despite the damage, the vessel still runs on auxiliary power and uses a thruster for limited steering.

On the 4th of May, Maersk sent a tugboat from Europe to tow the ship, choosing capability over proximity. However, the tugboat hasn’t arrived yet. The company anticipates the tug will arrive at the Maersk Sana in the coming days and plans to tow the vessel to a Bahamian port before late May. Calm seas have helped prevent further issues, and Maersk’s teams continue to monitor the situation closely.

Let’s sail to the Indian Ocean, where a similar case occurred. A fire in the engine room of the Greek-managed tanker Invictus left the vessel adrift in the Indian Ocean after the 23rd of April. The ship remained powerless for about a week before a tug arrived. The vessel drifted in safe weather conditions and far from the Somali coast, while a Filipino crew member sustained burns and received treatment from the Indian Navy.

On Thursday the 15th, vessel trackers recorded Invictus moving off Dubai as it was being towed for repairs. Shipping insiders confirmed the ship is heading to the Gulf Emirate. The fire, though serious, caused only minor damage, primarily affecting electrical cables and control panels. Investigators have not identified the cause, but they confirmed no external attack occurred.

Back to the Atlantic Ocean. A massive sargassum bloom, now stretching over 5,500 miles (or 8,850 kilometers), threatens coastal regions from Florida to the Caribbean. Researchers report the bloom has already reached thirty-one million tons, 40% larger than the twenty twenty-two record, and continues to grow.

Driven by warming oceans and excessive nitrogen runoff from agriculture and deforestation, the seaweed smothers marine life, releases toxic gases, and damages tourism-dependent economies. Coastal towns are trying to remove the stinking algae using heavy machinery, while governments like Mexico’s coordinate with the navy to block sargassum from reaching beaches. The seaweed also collects harmful metals, worsening its impact on ecosystems and human health. Despite its dangers, researchers are exploring ways to repurpose the algae for biofuel, water filtration, and biodegradable products.

Since we mentioned Mexico, the country is suing Google because the company labels the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on its maps, a name change pushed by US President Donald Trump through an executive order. On Friday the 9th, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Google had ignored previous requests to stop using that name for Mexican waters. While the US government’s order applies only within the US, Mexico and other countries don’t recognize the new name.

Right now, Google Maps shows the name as Gulf of America inside the US, but Gulf of Mexico in Mexico, and both names elsewhere. Google says it’s just following its own long-standing mapping policies. Mexico insists the name Gulf of Mexico is historic and should be used everywhere.

In other news, Russia is close to completing a major upgrade of its naval nuclear forces with the introduction of the new Borei-A class submarine, Knyaz Pozharsky. This vessel can carry up to sixteen Bulava missiles, each equipped with four to six nuclear warheads, potentially totaling sixty-four warheads in active patrols.

After delays in construction and testing, on Monday the 12th the submarine left Severodvinsk, Russia, likely preparing for its first missile launch before starting Arctic deterrence missions. The Northern Fleet, which operates in Arctic waters, will strengthen its nuclear role with this addition, although it still relies more on older Delta-IV submarines than newer Borei-class vessels. Russia’s overall nuclear arsenal includes thousands of warheads, with strategic and tactical forces deployed across its fleets.

Speaking of the Arctic, the company Arctic Reflections recently secured UK public funding through the Advanced Research and Invention Agency’s Exploring Climate Cooling program. Together with universities including Cambridge, Manchester, and UCL, the company will co-lead a 12.5 million US dollar research project to explore whether thickening Arctic sea ice in winter can reduce summer melting.

Arctic Reflections developed a method that pumps seawater onto ice during winter to accelerate growth. By refining this approach and using ocean currents for distribution, the team aims to significantly reduce the number of pumping stations needed to preserve 100,000 square kilometers of sea ice. They will carry out new field tests in the Canadian Arctic to evaluate the method’s cooling impact and environmental safety.

The team is currently carrying out experiments with variables affecting ice growth in a lab environment simulating Arctic conditions.

From one Pole to the other. In a study published in the journal Frontiers on Thursday the 15th, researchers analyzed a decade of seawater temperature data, from twenty fifteen to twenty twenty-four, in Livingston and Deception Islands in Antarctica. They observed strong seasonal patterns, with higher temperatures during austral summers and colder conditions in winter.

Deception Island consistently recorded warmer maximum temperatures due to volcanic activity, which also caused thermal anomalies and delayed seasonal cooling. In contrast, Livingston Island experienced earlier and more variable winter cooling, influenced by freshwater from glacial melt. Researchers failed to record freezing temperatures during the last two winters, signaling warming trends.

The study linked long-term temperature increases to global climate change, while volcanic activity and glacier runoff introduced local variability.

Meanwhile, on Thursday the 15th, the USS Alexandria, a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine, returned to Naval Base Point Loma, after completing a seven-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific. The submarine advanced US national security goals and bolstered regional alliances by conducting exercises and making port calls in locations such as Guam and Busan, South Korea.

While deployed, the crew participated in joint training with US Marine Corps forces and earned thirty-five submarine warfare devices. Assigned to Submarine Squadron 11, Alexandria operates in missions ranging from anti-submarine warfare to intelligence gathering.

On Saturday the 17th, Mexico’s navy training ship Cuauhtémoc struck the Brooklyn Bridge, New York, claiming the lives of two cadets. The crash also injured twenty-two others, three critically. Authorities reported that the ship, with 277 people aboard, lost power while departing New York Harbor and drifted into the bridge, collapsing its three masts.

Cadets and crew were participating in a global goodwill tour that began in April, with a planned stop in Scotland. Officials continue investigating the incident, while crews work to remove damaged masts still entangled in rigging. Despite the impact, the Brooklyn Bridge remains structurally sound.

Also on Saturday, Turkey announced a major natural gas discovery in the Black Sea, where the Abdülhamid Han drillship uncovered seventy-five billion cubic meters of reserves. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar revealed the find, estimating its market value at thirty billion US dollars.

The government aims to quickly utilize the gas to support its energy independence goals and ease the economic burden of imports. Officials say the reserve could supply all Turkish households for 3.5 years.

Closing with the Mediterranean Sea, where the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group will join NATO’s Neptune Strike exercise after spending about five months in the Red Sea supporting US operations against Houthi forces in Yemen.

During its deployment, Truman launched numerous airstrikes and endured multiple incidents, including a collision with a cargo ship near the Suez Canal. Following repairs in Crete, Greece, Truman returned to active duty before moving to the Mediterranean Sea. President Trump recently paused Operation Rough Rider, saying that the Houthis agreed to cease attacks.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Did you know that we do lots of other updates? We’ve got country updates and non-county updates, including the Arctic Update, and the Multilateral Update.

Check the full list with the link in the show notes!

See you next week!