Fuel removed from cruise ship grounded on Fiji 'Castaway' reef

Monuriki Island was made famous as a location in the Tom Hanks movie *Cast Away* (Photo: Shutterstock)

Most of the fuel carried by a cruise ship that ran aground on a reef off Monuriki Island in Fiji over the Easter weekend has now been removed, according to local authorities.

The MV Fiji Princess, operated by Blue Lagoon Cruises, was carrying 30 passengers and 31 crew members at the time of the incident.

All 30 passengers and 17 crew were evacuated on the same day, and no injuries have been reported.

Although the fuel has now been removed, weather conditions have made it difficult to refloat the ship, which remains embedded in the reef as of 8 April.

The cause of the crash on Saturday, 4 April, is thought to be a sudden storm, possibly brought on by the approach of Category 3 tropical cyclone Vaianu.

‘Whilst the investigation is in its early stages, conditions upon the ship anchoring in the area were calm, and it appears a severe squall caused the ship’s anchor to drag towards a nearby reef whereby the ship became grounded,’ Blue Lagoon Cruises said in a statement.

Monuriki Island was made famous as a location in the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away, and is part of the Mamanuca Island chain, one of Fiji’s most popular scuba diving destinations.

The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) said the vessel sustained ‘serious damage’ to the port side of its hull, and although there was no damage observed to the ship’s fuel tanks, removing the 23,000 litres of diesel on board was a priority for the salvage teams.

‘Initial checks confirmed that the vessel has suffered serious damage to its rear left side, including the area where the steering equipment is located. Part of the vessel underneath has also been damaged,’ said a spokesperson for MSAF.

‘The vessel also experienced engine failure and was reported to be taking in water following the grounding. Due to rough seas and strong waves, officers were unable to safely inspect the vessel underwater at the time.’

The MSAF spokesperson added that oil spill equipment was taken to the site as a precaution against spillage, but sea conditions at the time made it impossible to deploy.

MSAF issued a marine notification on 5 April advising mariners to be wary of Vaianu’s approach, however, conditions had eased sufficiently by Easter Monday to begin transferring the fuel on board to a waiting salvage vessel.

‘On Monday, 6 April 2026, the fuel transfer operation from the vessel was successfully completed as part of efforts to reduce any potential risk of pollution to the marine environment,’ said MSAF in a statement. ‘An approximate total of 23,000 litres of fuel was removed from the vessel.’

‘A salvage support vessel later departed the site following the completion of the fuel transfer operation. MSAF’s oil spill response booms remain with the support vessel as a precaution.

‘Further work to recover the vessel will begin once weather and sea conditions improve and it is safe to proceed,’ continued the statement’

‘MSAF remains focused on the safety of all personnel, the protection of Fiji’s marine environment, and ensuring that all recovery efforts are carried out safely.’