The Tsunami Ghost Ship
A year after Japan's 2011 tsunami, a fishing boat it swept away appeared off Canada with no one aboard.
What was reported
The Ryou-Un Maru was a Japanese fishing boat moored at Hachinohe when the tsunami of 11 March 2011 tore it loose and carried it out to sea. More than a year later, in March 2012, an aircraft spotted it drifting off Haida Gwaii, in Canada, rusted and empty.
As it drifted towards Alaska, the US Coast Guard judged it a hazard to shipping, and on 5 April 2012 sank it with cannon fire.
Explanations offered
It had crossed the Pacific on currents and winds, part of the vast debris from the tsunami; docks, boats and smaller items washed up in North America for years afterwards. There's no mystery left, but it was a haunting reminder of the disaster.
- When
- Sunk 5 April 2012
- Where
- Gulf of Alaska
- Witnesses
- The Canadian and US coast guards
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.