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Small Tanker Grounds on Waterfront at Port of Santa Marta

Grounding
Via Colombian social media

Published Feb 4, 2026 3:48 PM by The Maritime Executive

Officials in Santa Marta, Colombia worked hard this week to refloat a small bunker tanker that went aground next to a breakwater near the center of town. 

At about 2230 hours on Monday night, the small tanker Intergod VII grounded on Playa de Los Cocos, a beach about one mile south of the main commercial seaport. The vessel's master reported the incident to the local port authority and VTS operator, and the Colombian Navy responded to the scene. 

The vessel and crew are unharmed, and no pollution has been reported. 

The Colombian Maritime Authority (DIMAR) is investigating the casualty, and initial indications suggest that rough weather likely played a role. A cold front moving through the area brought high winds, heavy surf and record-setting rainfall on Monday. The weather conditions on the coast were severe enough that the port authority closed the harbor to navigation, and the public beaches were shut down for safety. Sections of the waterfront flooded, and large quantities of trash - abundant enough to make international headlines - washed out of the nearby river and up on shore. 

The difficult weather delayed any initial salvage response, but the authorities kept an eye on the grounding site to monitor for pollution. 

On Tuesday, the vessel shifted on the sand as the tide came in and made contact with the brick-and-mortar breakwater on the beachfront, raising concerns of possible damage to either the vessel or the infrastructure. Later in the day, with weather improving, refloat operations got under way, with a tug and tow hawser rigged to pull the vessel off the beach. The authorities closed off the nearby section of the waterfront for security purposes. 

On Wednesday, DIMAR reported that the tanker was safely refloated and moored at a nearby terminal.