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Malfunction on Research Vessel Falkor (too) Stops Uruguay's Expedition

research vessel Falkor (too)
Falkor (too) is based on a converted offshore service vessel (Schmidt Ocean Institute)

Published Aug 29, 2025 7:10 PM by The Maritime Executive


A high-profile research expedition to explore the deep sea in Uruguayan sovereign waters has suffered a setback after the research vessel Falkor (too) suffered technical issues. The vessel was forced to return to port for repairs.

The Universidad de la República (Udelar) announced that only days after embarking on August 22 for the much-publicized ‘Uruguay SUB 200’ expedition, the vessel was returning to the Port of Montevideo. The expedition had received the attention of President Yamandú Orsi.

The ship, which is owned by the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) and is highlighted as one of the most advanced research vessels, is said to have suffered issues with the main structure that is used to deploy and recover heavy underwater equipment. The A-frame structure malfunctioned as it was being raised from its stowed position to vertical, forcing a return to port for repairs.  

“It's with great sadness that we inform you that we're returning to port to fix some technical issues. We hope it's resolved soon and we can get back to exploring our ocean,” said the University in an alert.

The vessel had departed for the mission to explore the deep sea in Uruguayan waters with a team of 37 scientists and technicians from 18 institutions in six countries. Dubbed ‘Uruguay SUB 200: Journey into the Unknown,’ the month-long expedition was aimed at studying marine ecology, underwater archaeology, deep-sea mapping, and marine geophysics, among others.

The mission would have seen Falkor (too) sail about 200 to 300 kilometers off the Uruguayan coast to explore 50 points of interest on the seabed, from 200 to 3,500 meters deep. Of critical importance was the fact that the scientific team was expected to share the mission’s experience through live broadcasts from high-quality images taken on the seabed by the vessel’s suBastian remotely operated vehicle that is capable of reaching depths of 4,500 meters.

Built in 2011 as the offshore industry vessel Polar Queen, SOI acquired Falkor (too) from Norwegian shipping company GC Rieber Shipping ASA. The 110-meter vessel was refitted to become a state-of-the-art mobile research facility with modern laboratories, tools, equipment, and a high-performance computing system for ocean exploration and study. The vessel has an endurance of 60 to 120 days. 

The name was chosen to continue the tradition of an earlier vessel. The original Falkor was donated to Italy’s science agency National Research Council (CNR), in 2022.

Earlier this month, Falkor (too) completed a three-week Argentinian-led expedition that studied the Mar del Plata Canyon, one of the country’s largest underwater canyons that is located 300 kilometers offshore. Early this year, the Class C polar certified vessel also completed its first science expedition to Antarctica.