Passengers aboard the Australian-flagged Coral Adventurer cruise ship, which ran aground on a reef off the eastern coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Saturday, will be flown back to Australia after efforts to refloat the vessel failed.

Incident Details

• The ship became stuck at around 05:25 local time while navigating Morobe, Madang, and Sepik provinces.
• All 80 passengers and 44 crew members are safe and unharmed.
• The vessel was tilted six degrees to port (left side) but inspections showed no damage or environmental spillage.

Response and Investigation

• Attempts to free the ship using its engines and a tug boat were unsuccessful. A larger tug from Lae was dispatched for further efforts.
• PNG authorities issued a detention notice, deeming the ship temporarily unseaworthy.
• The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed the detention based on potential damage from the grounding.

Background

• The Coral Adventurer, operated by Coral Expeditions, departed from Cairns, Australia on 18 December.
• Earlier in 2025, the ship drew attention after leaving an elderly woman on a remote Great Barrier Reef island; her body was found the next day, and an investigation is ongoing.
• Coral Expeditions has been running PNG tours for around 20 years.

Next Steps

• The operator announced the tour will end early, and passengers will be flown back to Cairns.
• Local officials noted the ship had taken a less common route, where reefs are particularly dangerous