It is more than a year and a half since an antiquated freighter ran aground off Drapanias in Kissamos Bay, breaking in two after the dramatic rescue of its 10-man crew. With legal problems hindering the possibility of any salvage operation, the rusting hull sections have remained stubbornly in view, joining a handful of wrecks around the shores of Greece which have morphed from eyesore into tourist attraction. It’s presence is well documented in a succession of drone videos on YouTube, the most recent of which dates from last June (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjumqzG5g50).

Most locals, knowing the speed of administrative processes in Greece, have resigned themselves to it becoming a permanent part of the landscape – or seascape. However, as an article in the Haniotika Nea this week points out, there are some risks attached to this state of affairs.

The Manassa Rose M at Drapanias – a permanent tourist attraction?

One more summer has passed and the wreck of the ship Manassa Rose M remains in Kissamos Bay off Drapanias and is turning into a permanent attraction.

The wreck has been the subject of aerial drone videos, has formed the background for photographs, and has certainly been a subject of interest for visitors to the area. Many see it as a wreck matching those at Gramvousa, Zakynthos, Gytheio and elsewhere. Perhaps the locals too have accepted that with time it will become absorbed into the natural landscape and will gradually become an integral part of it, or a point of reference.

Few people, however, realise or even wonder to what extent the presence of a shipwreck affects the quality of the marine environment of the area where it is situated. I assure you that the environmental damage which can be caused by a shipwreck is considerable and long-lived, and is not restricted only to the marine environment but spreads to dry land, through the food chain.

As I have emphasised many times, a danger is not always visible, nor is environmental pollution, or the downgrading of the environment. We now have the knowledge and the experience to not stop at appearances, but to analyse situations which are apparently safe, to anticipate dangers and to avert them as early as possible.

I realise that in the case of the Manassa Rose M, there are legal and judicial issues which are delaying any intervention, let alone the removal of the wreck. However, I want to point out that time is passing and it is not on our side.

You may be sure that the wreck, as it is, is a continual source of pollution, which needs to be removed or at least monitored as soon as possible, before its effects become visible to the area’s residents and visitors.

(Haniotika Nea, 27th September. The author, Evangelos Gidarakos, is Emeritus Professor in Toxic and Dangerous Waste Treatment and Management, at the School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete.)

The story of the wreck
The Manasssa Rose M, en route from Iskenderun in Turkey to Misurata in Libya with 10 crew members on board, ran aground on January 25th 2022, at 3 am, in Kissamos Bay, Chania, while seeking shelter from storm Elpis with a 4.5 metre swell. Coast Guard teams from Chania and Kastelli, as well as volunteer lifeguards who were notified by the Municipality of Kissamos, were quickly at the scene.

Eight crew members had boarded a life raft, and with the assistance of a rescue team using a jet ski were safely transported to Drapanias beach. Two other sailors who had landed in the water were saved by the volunteer lifeguards. The rescued sailors were taken to the Kissamos Police Station, where they were provided with first aid. Two were taken to hospital with severe hypothermia, the other eight, who were in better condition, were transferred to the Kissamos Health Centre.

The ship broke in two and sank. Oil booms and anti-pollution measures were put on standby. There appeared to be excavators on the upper deck, while the ship was said to be carrying iron ore as cargo.

The Manassa Rose M is a 1982-built freighter, one of a fleet of six aging vessels operated by managed by the Egyptian company International Marine Shipping. She is owned by a Lebanese company and flagged in Comoros, which ranks fourth from the bottom of the Paris MOU Black List (https://parismou.org/about-us/organisation). Officials of the IMOs Port State Control had flagged deficiencies aboard the Manassa Rose M at every port state inspection she had undergone since 2006, according to her record on Equasis (Electronic Quality Shipping Information System). 
(Alexandros Makrakis/Youtube, news2sea.com)