The Caledonian Sky harmed vast swathes of the reef in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, when it ran agroundA British-operated cruise ship has smashed into Indonesian coral reefs in an area regarded as one of the world’s best preserved marine environments. The Caledonian Sky, which was carrying 102 passengers and 79 crew to the Philippines, ran aground in the Dampier Strait after a bird-watching trip to the island of Waigeo in West Papua. Prices for a berth on the 16-night voyage from Papua New Guinea started at about £10,000. The area in eastern Indonesia known as Raja Ampat, where the 90m (300ft) ship struck the uncharted reefs ten days ago, is renowned among scuba divers. The Indonesian government said it was assessing the damage and would seek compensation from the operator, Noble Caledonia.

Source: The Times March 15, 2017 00:57 UTC