Italian authorities have fined Silversea Cruises, and the Italian Coast Guard formally reprimanded a ship captain for sailing too close to a protected coastline.
Silversea ship Silver Ray sailed too close to the famed Faraglioni rock formations off the island of Capri.
Italian Coast Guard Fines Silversea Cruises, Captain Reprimanded
The Silver Ray came within less than 500 meters of the rocks, which is a violation.
Silversea Cruises was fined €1,032 (about $1,100). The 54,700 gross ton Silver Ray measures about 800 feet in length with a draft of 20 feet It has a guest capacity of 728.
The captain undertook a sail close to the rocks in early May during an 11-night cruise from Barcelona to Rome. The rocks rise to over 300 feet above sea level.
It was captured on video by an individual on land and by ship guests who posted their footage online.
The footage was picked up by Italian environmental group Legambiente, which shared it with the Italian Coast Guard and sparked a formal investigation.
Cruise Ship Came Too Close to Faraglioni Rocks
The Coast Guard concluded the ship breached the 500-meter exclusion zone. Italian authorities used AIS (Automatic Identification System) data to determine the ship’s distance from the rocks.
Silver Ray’s captain was issued a written warning from the Campanian Maritime Authority.
Italian environmentalists noted the importance of strict regulations restricting cruise ships from veering too close to the shoreline.
They cited the 2012 Costa Concordia tragedy which claimed 32 lives during a similar sailby. Costa Concordia struck a submerged rock off the coast of Isola del Giglio, Italy, which eventually sank the ship.
Following this recent incident, Legambiente is calling for the waters around Capri to be designated a Marine Protected Area to strengthen regulations further.
The area is noted for endangered species, including rare coral, and as the habitat for the rare Mediterranean monk seal.
