An Australian-flagged expedition cruise ship has been detained by maritime authorities after running aground on a reef off the coast of Papua New Guinea, raising concerns about its seaworthiness and onboard safety management.
The Coral Adventurer struck the reef near Dregerhafen Point, around 90 kilometres from the city of Lae, at approximately 5.25am local time on Saturday.
The 93.4-metre vessel was carrying 123 people — 80 passengers and 43 crew — as it made its way through the region.
All those on board were reported safe, with no injuries and no immediate signs of flooding.
While the ship’s operator said an initial inspection suggested no damage, the full extent of any impact remains uncertain as refloating efforts continue.
Early attempts to free the vessel using its own engines were unsuccessful, and a towage provider was later engaged. At one stage, the ship was listed about six degrees to port.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has opened a formal investigation and has secured data from the ship’s voyage data recorder.
Investigators are also gathering ship tracking information, weather data, and crew and maintenance records, with plans to board the vessel to conduct interviews and collect further evidence when conditions allow. A preliminary report is expected within two months.
On Monday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority moved to detain the Coral Adventurer under the Navigation Act 2012.
The authority said it had reasonable grounds to suspect the ship may not be seaworthy due to potential damage sustained during the grounding, and that it appeared to fall below required standards because of failures in the implementation of its Safety Management System under international regulations.
AMSA said it is working closely with the vessel’s operator, its classification society and the National Maritime Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea as the situation develops.
The grounding comes only two months after the Coral Adventurer was already under scrutiny following the death of an 80-year-old passenger during a visit to Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. That separate investigation is examining whether the passenger was properly accounted for during boarding.
Operated by Coral Expeditions, which is owned by NRMA, the Coral Adventurer was completed in 2019 and is registered in Cairns.
Australian authorities confirmed no distress call was received at the time of the grounding, but said they remain on standby to assist Papua New Guinea officials if requested.