Containers of Bananas falling into sea delay cruise for 24 hours in Britain’s busiest waterway

Southampton sees its share of maritime disruption, but it’s not often caused by bananas and other produce. When 16 containers toppled from a cargo ship into the Solent, the spill was significant enough to halt departures and send Coastguard helicopters and planes sweeping the coastline for drifting boxes. The fallout even delayed P&O’s Iona by a full day.

A cargo mishap, floating bananas and an unexpected cruise delay

P&O Cruises’ Iona was meant to leave Southampton on Saturday, 6 December, beginning a 14-night voyage to Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands. Instead, more than 5,000 passengers spent the night in port after local authorities halted departures. The reason was unusual even by maritime standards: sixteen shipping containers had fallen overboard from a cargo vessel in the Solent, several of them packed with bananas.

The incident occurred near the Nab Tower lighthouse, a major waypoint for commercial ships moving between mainland Britain and the Isle of Wight. His Majesty’s Coastguard confirmed that the containers came from the Baltic Klipper, a refrigerated cargo ship, and that the spill created enough navigational uncertainty for cruise movements to be paused.

P&O Cruises told PEOPLE that Iona “waited in the port of Southampton overnight until they received clearance from local maritime authorities.” Clearance arrived on Sunday afternoon, allowing the ship to sail 24 hours later than planned.

What went overboard, and where it washed up

According to the Coastguard’s report, the 16 lost containers included eight carrying bananas, two carrying plantains, one holding avocados, and five that were empty. By Monday afternoon, 11 of the containers had washed ashore in West Sussex, scattering loose produce along the coastline. Visuals taken on Selsey Beach showed bunches of bananas spread across the shingle, some still bearing Tesco supermarket labels, a detail confirmed by the BBC. Tesco told the broadcaster that it was “already working with its supplier” and that its availability of fruit in stores remained unaffected.


HM Coastguard told The Independent:
“HM Coastguard is continuing to work with the relevant authorities after 16 containers went overboard from the cargo ship Baltic Kipper in the Solent on 6 December… Eight of the containers were reported as carrying bananas, two as carrying plantain, one as carrying avocados, and the remaining five as empty.”
Two containers had already reached Selsey by the time officials arrived, prompting a cordon. Coastguard rescue teams from Selsey and Littlehampton joined West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Sussex Police in securing the site and assessing debris.


Authorities deployed aircraft and helicopters to look for the remaining containers, a somewhat theatrical response to what is essentially a large spill of runaway fruit.

What the public should, and shouldn’t, do

The Coastguard has urged anyone who spots containers or cargo to come forward. That guidance is backed by UK maritime law, which treats anything washed ashore as “wreck” and places clear obligations on the public, even, in this case, if what you’ve “rescued” is a crate of drifting bananas.

The Coastguard’s public notice states:

“Those who fail to declare items within 28 days are breaking the law and may have further action taken against them.”
Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, unreported wreck material can lead to fines of up to £2,500.

A rare kind of disruption

Cargo losses aren’t unusual, but it’s uncommon for drifting containers to delay a cruise ship in UK waters. Iona ultimately departed the next day, multiple reports confirmed, yet the incident showed how quickly routine shipping mishaps ripple through a crowded channel. The aftermath was stranger still: bananas, plantains and avocados washing up on beaches. Authorities advised the public to steer clear of affected stretches of coastline, including anywhere fruit might now appear uninvited.