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Video: Bow Section Removed from the Wreck of MSC Baltic III

removing bow section of containership wreck
Bow section of the wreck tumbled away and was then pulled toward shore for recycling (Canadian Coast Guard)

Published Sep 14, 2026 9:44 AM by The Maritime Executive

The salvage team working to remove the wreck of the containership MSC Baltic III from the shore of Newfoundland, Canada, captured in a dramatic video as the bow section was separated from the hull. It is the first section of the hull to be broken apart after the work had stripped away the upper portions of the vessel.

The containership was 207 meters (679 feet) in length before the dismantling operation began. There was no indication from the Canadian Coast Guard of how long the section that was severed was, but they reported that 5,700 tonnes, close to 50 percent of the vessel’s total tonnage, have now been removed. The prior update days earlier said 4,200 tonnes, approximately 40 percent of the vessel’s total tonnage, had been removed.

The forward section appears to have been separated with charges, based on the sound on the video. The Coast Guard reports it was then pulled forward onto the shore, where it will be cut into smaller pieces and removed for recycling. The sections of the ship are being taken to a recycling facility on Newfoundland using barges or trucks.

 

 

The containership blacked out in February 2025 and was driven ashore during a winter storm. The crew was evacuated by Canadian forces, but the vessel was stranded in a remote cove west of Corner Brook, Newfoundland. The salvage operation in 2025 focused on removing the cargo, fuel, and potential pollutants from the vessel. The second phase of salvage, focusing on removing the ship, began this spring.

The Canadian Coast Guard said last week that the chain pulls had moved the hull forward approximately 53 meters (more than 170 feet) toward the shoreline. The pulling operation is continuing during high tides for the added buoyancy on the remnants of the hull.

Resolve Marine is undertaking the salvage operation, and when they described it, they said the hull would be split into sections and pulled onto the shore for dismantling. The hatch covers, deck machinery, cranes, and deckhouse with the bridge were the first sections to be removed. Based on the pictures, it also appears that the machinery has all been removed.

A scrap pad was completed on the shoreline in the last month to support the shoreline crane. It will be used in the next phase of the lightering operations. Earlier pictures showed a barge with a crane alongside, removing upper sections of the hull.

Resolve Marine reported the operation will continue until winter weather overtakes the region of Canada. They expect the operation will continue into 2027, as after the hull is removed, they will also be doing restoration efforts on the shoreline.