Boy finds a bonanza in whale vomit

From NBC News:  Boy finds a bonanza in whale vomit


An 8-year-old boy in England could be up to $63,000 richer, thanks to a piece of solidified whale vomit he picked up on the beach. The chunk may look like a yellow-brownish rock, but it's actually a primo piece of ambergris, an expensive perfume ingredient that is, um, spewed out by whales.

Charlie Naysmith stumbled upon the loaf-sized lump at Hengistbury Head, on the southern coast of England, the Bournemouth Echo reported over the weekend.

 As far as Charlie was concerned, it was just a seaside curiosity. But after doing some research, he and his family determined that the curious lump could be worth somewhere between £10,000 and £40,000 ($15,850 to $63,350).

 "We have discovered it is quite rare and are waiting for some more information from marine biology experts," the boy's father, Alex, told the Echo.

Charlie is reportedly thinking about using the money to build a house for animals. But first, he and his parents might want to get that expert opinion. It turns out that the ambergris trade can get pretty sticky.

'Floating Gold'
Ambergris is a waxy, bile-like substance that builds up in the intestines of sperm whales, apparently to ease the passage of hard material such as squid beaks through a whale's digestive tract. It's often characterized as whale vomit, and although that's fine as a family-friendly description, the stuff is more widely thought to come out of the whale's back end rather than its front end.

Fresh ambergris smells like fresh whale poop, but after a long period of seasoning and hardening in the ocean, it takes on a more delicate odor. It's been variously compared to the aroma of tobacco, the scent of an old wooden church, the fragrance of seaweed, or the smell of rubbing alcohol without the pungency.

"The problem with trying to describe the smell of ambergris is that it really only smells like ambergris," Christopher Kemp, a biologist and neuroscientist who's written a book about the substance, told Bloomberg Businessweek's Eric Spitznagel.

The title of Kemp's book? "Floating Gold."

The scent of ambergris is what makes it so valuable. The substance has been used as an incense, fragrance, flavoring, remedy or aphrodisiac in many cultures, going back to ancient Egypt and China. Herman Melville devoted a whole chapter of "Moby Dick" (Chapter 92) to a discussion of ambergris and how highly prized it was in 19th-century society. "Who would think, then, that such fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale!" Melville wrote.

More recently, ambergris — or ambrein, a compound extracted from ambergris — has been used as a fixative or fragrance amplifier rather than the main ingredient in perfumes. Ambergris' selling price has been quoted at $10 to $50 per gram, depending on the quality of the specimen. (The Echo estimates that the lump found at Hengistbury Head weighs about 600 grams, which suggests that Charlie shouldn't count on building a $63,000 house for his animals.)

Underground trade
The bad news is that the trade in ambergris isn't what it used to be, in large part due to the endangered status of sperm whales. By some accounts, it's illegal to sell the stuff in many jurisdictions, including the United States. There are some traders who dispute that interpretation of anti-whaling laws, but the stigma has driven perfume companies to look for plant-based substitutes such as labdanum, or synthetic scents such as Ambrox. (University of British Columbia researchers reported earlier this year that a balsam-fir gene may provide a path to cheaper ambergris-like compounds.)

Maybe it's the whiff of illegality, or maybe it's just that the stuff is so expensive — but for whatever reason, there's a clandestine character to the modern-day ambergris market. One of the subjects Kemp interviewed for his book is a full-time dealer on New Zealand's North Island, named Adrienne Beuse. Last year, she was involved in a huge ambergris deal that probably saw hundreds of thousands of dollars change hands. "It was a lot of money — that's all I can say," one of the sellers said.

The way Beuse tells it, New Zealand's choicest hunting grounds for ambergris are ruled by a gang of aggressive collectors and traders — a gang that doesn't shy away from violence to defend their turf. "They're called the Beach Mafia up here," Kemp quotes Beuse as saying. "They claim a proprietary interest in the beach. They are defending, I guess in their minds, their territory. And it's worth a lot of money. If a piece worth $50,000 washes up, they don't want anyone else to find it."

It sounds as if Charlie is lucky to live in southern England rather than northern New Zealand. But he better watch his back.

Costa Concordia Salvage Delayed

From Discovery News:  Costa Concordia Salvage Delayed

The stricken Costa Concordia cruise liner, which lies partially submerged near the coast of Giglio, will spend another winter in the waters off the tiny Tuscan island.
The consortium hired to re-float and remove the 114,500-ton ship presented this month a new timeline to the Osservatorio, the entity supervising the wreck salvage operations.
Originally scheduled for completion by January 2013, the removal plan was delayed until next spring.
According to a Costa Cruises statement, Pompano Beach-based Titan Salvage and Italian marine firm Micoperi, the companies engaged in the salvage operation, "believe the new schedule is a realistic estimate."


The Concordia struck a rock and capsized on Jan. 13 near Giglio after captain Francesco Schettino allegedly drove the ship on an unauthorized route too close to shore, ripping a huge gash in the hull. Tumbled onto its side with more than 4,200 people aboard, the ship claimed 32 lives.

To complete what is considered the largest re-float in history, Titan will rely on underwater platforms on the seaward side of the ship. Watertight boxes, or caissons, will be then fixed to the side of the ship that is above water.

"Two cranes fixed to the platform will pull the ship upright, helped by the weight of the caissons, which will be filled with water," Titan said.
On the other side, cables attached to the land will ensure the ship does not slide off the platform.
"When the ship is upright, caissons will be fixed to the other side of the hull to stabilize it. Finally, the caissons on both sides will be emptied, after the water inside has been purified to protect the marine environment, and filled with air," the U.S. company said.
Sandwiched between the caissons, the Costa Concordia will be towed to an unnamed Italian port for dismantling.
Titan clarified that the new schedule for the salvage operation, which is set to cost more than $300 million, is "dependent in part upon subcontractor deliverables and schedules."


Despite the reassurances, the delay has raised concerns among environmental organizations, ship experts and Giglio residents.
"It's the shift that worries us. We are not talking of the time schedule, but of the ship," said Angelo Gentili of the environmental group Legambiente.
Sprawled on the rocks, the giant carcass of the Costa Concordia has been attracting thousand of tourists this summer. A number of outfits are advertising trips to get up close to the capsized ship.
"In a few months, it will be a different story. Spending another winter at the mercy of winds and waves certainly won't help," Carlo Barbini, a former captain on cruise liners who also worked as a ship inspection surveyor for the court of Livorno, told Discovery News.
The 950-foot-long, 116-foot-wide, 114,500-ton cruise liner has been suspended for the past eight months in a precarious position, with the bow and stern sitting on two rocks. In between is a sandy slope that drops at a 20 percent angle toward deep sea.
"I believe a structural collapse of the ship's beam and a plunge into deep waters is very likely," Capt. Barbini said.
Barbini, who wrote a detailed report and sent it to the mayor of Giglio, believes that the riskiest moment will be the rolling of the vessel and the subsequent refloating.
His worries are partly confirmed by a little-publicized report by Costa Cruises. Written last May, the 148-page report admits that the ship is progressively warping and that the bow has sunk by more than 35 inches.
According to the daily Il Tirreno, the report confirmed that the two pieces of rock on which the ship balances have worrisome cracks.
"Computer models have shown that 5-foot waves, which are likely to occur in winter, can produce a real risk of deep plunging," the report read.
The event would be catastrophic, with "polluting materials" spilling in the island's pristine waters.
Although more than 2,200 cubic meters of heavy fuel have been safely pumped out of the ship, the report revealed that some 243 cubic meters of fuel, declared unpumpable, remain in the Concordia's most inaccessible tanks.
"The entire wreck-removal operation is filled with risky moments. Refloating and towing away safely such a wreck sounds like a miracle to me. It's pretty much like Lazarus walking out of the grave," Barbini said.

 

The saga of Yamuna's coin divers caught on film

From Business Standard:  The saga of Yamuna's coin divers caught on film 


 Faith is an integral part of the Indian culture but did you know that a section of homeless people eke out their daily living from the modest coins dropped as offerings into the Yamuna river?

A nearly 22 minute-long documentary titled 'In Search of Destiny (Coin Divers)' by Aakash Arun attempts to throw light into the lives of coin divers numbering around 400-500 and living near the much polluted but equally, if not more, revered Yamuna that flows through here.

The film begins with a train chugging on a bridge and people 'offering' coins to the Yamuna and subsequently praying for their wishes.
It is followed by a shot where a child is seen hurling a dumbbell-shaped greasy object into the river and tugging the rope. The camera zooms into the dumbbell-shaped object and you see one shining coin stuck to it. Later on the scene focuses on two men who narrate how they receive sustenance from the Yamuna in the form of coins.

"The men are part of the marginalised section which is not only homeless and helpless but also are susceptible to the ills of addiction, says Arun.

Nearly 60 per cent of these coin drivers in the national capital are in the grip of some form of addiction. These people are not to difficult to find out. Most of them are present in a radius of 4-6 km of the bridge over Yamuna that can be reached from Kashmere Gate, according to the film's narration.

"Coin divers on an average find coins worth Rs 100 daily," says Arun adding that earning goes up on few occasions when luck smiles upon them in the form of trinkets, heavy metallic objects that fetch decent prices.

The documentary was shot entirely using a DSLR camera which, he said, could be brought out in the open only after he could gain confidence of the coin divers.

The fact that Yamuna plays a pivotal role in these people's lives can be easily grasped by viewers.

"Yamuna is all encompassing. She gives shelter to all who comes to her. We sleep under the sky and sustain ourselves from her largesse(read coins)," says an elderly man in the documentary.(MORE)PTI RAI ANS DBL 

Estimated 30,000 antiques to be salvaged from sunken ship

From XinhuaNet:  Estimated 30,000 antiques to be salvaged from sunken ship

GUANGZHOU, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 30,000 pieces of antiques are expected to be salvaged from Nan'ao-1, an ancient merchant vessel that sank about 500 years ago off the coast of Guangdong Province.
Upon the conclusion of an underwater archaeological mission, about 10,000 pieces of newly salvaged antiques will be exhibited in the Nan'ao Museum in Shantou, said Huang Yingtao, director of the museum.
The salvage operation, which started in June, was suspended due to the effects of typhoon Kai-Tak, which made landfall in the coastal area of Guangdong at noon on Friday.
This round of underwater archaeological work on Nan'ao-1 will finish by the end of September, said Cui Yong, head of the team of archaeologists.
Archaeologists conducting the underwater work will measure the length of the wreck after the antiques are salvaged.
Archaeologists had previously recovered over 20,000 antiques, including porcelain and copper coins, and identified 25 cabins.
The ship sank in the Sandianjin waters off Nan'ao County, Shantou, during the mid- or late-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The ship is believed to have been bound for the Philippines and Malaysia, said Cui.
Guangdong was a major center for sea trade in ancient China.
Local fishermen found the wrecked ship, estimated at 25 meters in length and seven meters in width, in May 2007. It was buried in silt 27 meters underwater and about 5.6 nautical miles from Shantou.
Experts said the antiques salvaged from the Nan'ao-1 provide evidence that the "Maritime Silk Road" once existed in the South China Sea.

 

NZ: Divers push for Rena wreck to remain

From New Zealand Herald:  Divers push for Rena wreck to remain

A diving group will tomorrow make a renewed call for the stricken cargo ship Rena to remain on Astrolabe Reef as an underwater tourist attraction.
Consultant Beca, contracted by the Rena's owners, has organised a conference with various Bay of Plenty groups as the next stage of the ship's salvage gets underway off Tauranga.
New Zealand Underwater Association president Tony Kuiumdjian said he would again raise the idea of keeping the wreck on the reef, which he believed could boost tourism in the Bay of Plenty.
"I don't think you can over-state the benefits for Tauranga, but I think a lot of people will come to dive the wreck from charter boats," he said. "We are pretty keen to see it remain."
The area is already home to the wreck of the vessel Taupo, a scenic dive site 12km north of Mt Maunganui.
Captain John Owen from the Swedish Club, the ship's insurers, told Newstalk ZB that developing the Rena as a dive destination was one option.
He had seen recent underwater images showing large fish habitats had already been established.

The revelation last week that leaving the ship on the reef was being considered - despite Maritime New Zealand's order for its full removal - has drawn mixedreactions.
Tauranga Moana Iwi Leaders' Group chair Awanui Black, surprised at the news, told the Bay of Plenty Times: "We want to ensure the information we have got is correct and if it is ... there will be intense discussions."
Meanwhile, salvors Resolve Salvage & Fire estimate stripping the wreck down to a metre below the mean waterline will take until early next year to complete.
Mr Owen said pre-cutting work on the internal structures began last week, while a helicopter and crane barge started removing pre-cut scrap metal this week.
The wreck's location made it "difficult and potentially dangerous" to conduct salvage operations.
Helicopters were expected to be used extensively as the front of the bow section is surrounded by shallow water, inhibiting use of a heavy lift barge.
The Rena's shell plating and ballast tanks will be left until the final phase of the project to act as a breakwater.

 

This Oblivious Shark Hunter Wants to Kill All the Sharks

From Gawker.com:  This Oblivious Shark Hunter Wants to Kill All the Sharks

"I wanna go out there and catch maybe the last one," said Mark "the Shark" Quartiano on How Jaws Changed the World, which Discovery premiered last night as part of its Shark Week lineup. By "last one" he means "the last shark." As in, "I would gladly have my hands be the ones responsible for finally collapsing our ecosystem."
He could be trolling. Quartiano is a somewhat notorious figure already; he's been accused of being an attention whore by people who actually know a thing or two about shark populations and care about how endangerment works. His crazy eyes make everything he says really convincing, though.
How Jaws Changed the World focused on the impact Steven Spielberg's 1975 landmark blockbuster had on actual sharks. It's well-known that the film's demonization of great whites took a chunk not only out of their population but the population of sharks in general (Peter Benchley, who wrote the book from which the film was adapted, spent the rest of his life repenting and attempting to convince people to stop killing sharks). But on the bright side, Jaws also ignited interest in marine biology, which means that there are now more people around to fret at the impending food-chain collapse.
The flagrancy of people like Quartiano, who runs a charter shark-fishing business in Miami, isn't to be scoffed at. He was profiled in Juliet Eilperin's excellent social survey of humans' relationship with sharks, Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks, wherein he lamented his current typical daylong wait to catch a shark ("20 years ago, forget it. 10 minutes.") while skirting responsibility, despite having claimed to Eilperin that he's killed 100,000 of them. He seems oblivious to logic.
You can read an excerpt of the Quartiano section of Demon Fish via The Week. Here's the most offensive part:

It is harder work now pleasing his customers than it was in the past, and he blames commercial fishermen who set long-lines. These fishing lines with baited hooks frequently end up snaring sharks, which then drown...
"Those long-liners do more damage in a night than we do in a year," he says. And Quartiano simply does not believe that species such as bigeye thresher sharks are endangered, because he still hauls them in on his rod and reel. "I've caught more than anyone else on the planet. There's no way they're endangered."
Data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service tell a different story: Federal officials estimate that recreational landings of large coastal sharks outpaced commercial catches for 15 out of 21 years between 1981 and 2001, with U.S. recreational anglers catching 12 million sharks, skates, and rays in 2004 alone. At this point, NOAA estimates that recreational anglers in the U.S. catch roughly 200,000 sharks a year. Apparently, all those bachelor and bachelorette parties add up.

You can see in the clip above that Quartiano feigns ignorance on his total haul — since speaking with Eilperin, he has reduced the number to, "10, 20, 30 thousand? Some people say more, but I don't know how they come up with that figure." He also told Eilperin that he thinks sharks "are cool" and hopes "they'll be here after we're gone." In How Jaws Changed the World, he says that he'll gladly pull the last one out of the water. He's evolving in all kinds of ways.

 

Owners 'devastated' after blaze destroys $60m superyacht

From TVNZ:  Owners 'devastated' after blaze destroys $60m superyacht

The owners of a multi-million dollar superyacht say they are "shocked" after it was destroyed in a fire at an Auckland boat-yard.

Up to 90 firefighters battled the blaze, which occurred around 1.30am on Sunday at the McMullen and Wing yacht and boatbuilding business in Mt Wellington.

The luxury 50 metre, 24-berth vessel, Star Fish, was three-quarters complete and due to be delivered to its overseas owners next year.

Rob Chappelhow from Aquos Yachts in the UK said: "We're absolutely shocked and stunned. We're keen to get to the bottom of what's gone on.

"But it's devastating news for everyone involved."

The guide price on the Aquos Yachts website for the superyacht was $49.5 million ($60.9m NZD).

The luxury vessel - which included an infinity pool, bar and gym on board - is completely destroyed.
The Star Fish was due to be launched in March 2013.

Speaking anonymously, the managing director of the long-established boat-yard, said those who had spent countless hours working on building Star Fish were also devastated by the extent of the damage.

Some were in tears when they heard it had been gutted by the fire, he said.

The investigation into the blaze continues

 

60 is the new 40

On August 10, 2012, the Cheyenne chapter of the AARP hosted a seminar called Gray Matters - which was free and provided a free lunch - unfortunately fish and cheesecake, blech - from 4 to 6 was a reception for all travelers who had come in for the AARP National Spelling Bee to be held on the 11th.

I attended that and it was a lot of fun. The emcee introduced a few folks, we talked about words, there was a "mock" spelling bee (which only consisted of about 20 people getting up and being questioned on one word...) and so on. And there were finger foods there - Chinese food to be precise. Don't know where they got it from or if they cooked it on site (Little America is a hotel and resort where people come to play golf among other things) but it was delish.

The spelling bee started at the ungodly hour of 8:30 am (Well...8:30 is not so ungodly but I had to get up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 to get there in time for registration, etc.) It started with 4 rounds of 25 words each - which was a Written Test.

The first 25 words were extremely easy. They asked words like "Greetings" and "Navel" and "Mince." I suppose a few might have been considered difficult... "Animus" and "Lacuna."


The second 25 words were equally easy, but I did miss MUGWUMP.


I assume they did this just to help everyone settle the nerves and get new people used to what was going on. People had trouble hearing some of the words (hey, they were all over 50 and most over 60) and the Pronouncer  would come down and tell them the word face to face and have them say it back, etc. Indeed, the Pronouncer did an excellent job.


Third round was where they started asking the difficult words.


I missed:
QUESTIONARY INERCALATE
TUATARA
SKOSH
VIRIDITY
WIMBLE

The fourth round was the real killer. I only got 12 out of 25 right. I missed:

FELICIFIC
DOVEKIE
FLYTING
NAPERY
COTYLEDONARY
WELTSCHMERRZ
OPPUGNER
AECIOSPORE
SYNCYTIAL
KNUR
IRIDIUM
TUYERE
HYOSCYAMINE

I then stayed for the Oral rounds and was joined by one of my friends from my Scrabble Club. (I think an audience could have assembled for the Written rounds, too. There were chairs there and family were in them...but I think most people only wanted to come see the Oral rounds where you actually saw the speller's faces as opposed to their backs, etc.)

Two of the people I met last night at the reception made it to the Orals. One of them it was his first trip to the Bee and he was successful his first time out. Made it through about 10 rounds. (In the Orals, you miss two words and you're out.) Another one was an elderly woman from Minnesota who also got through about 10 rounds before being knocked out.

There were three sisters and a brother who had come as a sort of family reunion. The eldest sister made it to the Oral rounds but was bounced after only two rounds. This was too bad and it was because she was a bit unlucky - she got two 6-syllable words in a row while some of the others were getting much easier ones (but still, not ones I could have spelled). But she was disqualified along with several other people in the same round, so hopefully she didn't feel too bad.

The words in the Oral Rounds were extremely difficult. Several times more difficult than the toughest words in the final round of the Written.


But, had I studied for a year, I think I could have handled them.


And it is my intention to study for a year and  get into the Orals next year.


So, why is the title of this blog entry 60 is thenew 40?


Because it is.


People are living longer. You don't want to outlive your money and more importantly you don't want to outlive your sense of enjoyment of life. And learning new things every day is enjoyment and keeps the mind active.


The AARP Spelling Bee is held every year, and it gives you an excellent reason to travel to Cheyenne and see The Cowboy State. You'll meet lots of interesting people.


You do have to study.


I studied very desultorily for about a month...combine all the time I studied and it was about 10 hours. Not nearly enough, but then, I'm a good speller so the Written Rounds were relatively easy - except for that killer last round.


Why learn words that you'll never, ever say in real life?Well, because they're interesting. And the concepts of what you'll learn, you can apply in other areas. So it's a win win.


So start planning to live a long, healthy, active, intellectual life, and do it now, however old you might be!

No posts today

I'm participating in the AARP Spelling Bee held in Cheyenne on Saturday, Aug 11. Today, Friday, there's a day-long "orientation," talk about keeping active, and mock spelling bee, and I want to attend it.

Will let you know on Sunday how I did...I'm not expecting to win but I do hope to get out of the writtens into the orals. There are 60 participants which must be whittled down to 15 - done so by 4 rounds of 25 written words each. I should be able to beat out 45 people to get on to that platform for the oral round, even if I lose on the first question!

Well, we'll see.

Greenock Watt Library discovers literary 'treasure trove'

From BBC News:  Greenock Watt Library discovers literary 'treasure trove'

The rare 1827 edition of Paradise Lost contains images by artist John Martin

A literary treasure trove has been discovered in a hidden cupboard at a library in Inverclyde.

The rare book collection was discovered by archivist Neil Dickson at Greenock's Watt Library.
It includes a 1538 edition of letters by Roman philosopher Cicero and an 1827 illustrated edition of John Milton's Paradise Lost - one of only 50 copies.
The collection will be on display at the McLean Museum, Greenock, on Saturday between 12:00 and 16:00.
'Absolutely stunned' The display is part of a wider, free-to enter exhibition during BBC's Great British Story event.
Mr Dickson discovered the hidden cupboard behind an old plan chest while working his way through the archives at Watt Library.

The Hortus Europae Americanus was printed in 1767

He said: "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the cupboard which obviously hadn't been opened for twenty, thirty years or longer.
"I was absolutely stunned when I realised what was inside - I have never seen such a collection of books in one place and certainly not under these circumstances.
"I am sure the find will be of enormous interest."
As well as books dating back to the 1530s, the collection includes 17th and 18th century volumes on surgery, witchcraft and exploration.
The 1827 edition of Paradise Lost features illustrations designed and engraved by the artist John Martin.
Inverclyde Council's education convener Councillor Terry Loughran said: "This really is an incredible find and one that will be talked about in literary circles up and down the country and beyond.
"As well as books that are nearly 500 years old, there is also a 19th century Hamnet edition of Shakespeare's plays published in Greenock and edited by the then librarian of the Watt Library, Allan Park Paton.
"It is testament to the long traditions of academic excellence in Greenock that such a collection found its way to the Watt Library over the years and I look forward to finding out more about the circumstances and history of the find."

 

International team of 40 ready to remove Rena's bow

From the New Zealand Herald:  International team of 40 ready to remove Rena's bow

Up to 40 wreckage removal experts from around the world will converge on Tauranga in the next week for the second phase of the Rena recovery.

Salvage authorities announced plans to remove the bow section of the stricken cargo ship this week but said yesterday they were yet to figure out how to remove the rest of the Rena from Astrolabe Reef. The ship ran aground on the reef as it headed towards Tauranga early on October 5, spewing oil and debris across the coast.

Clean-ups have helped clear remaining rubbish but the wreck remains on a 22-degree list on the reef in rough water described as like a washing machine.

The operation to remove the bow will begin on August 3 when a salvage team boards the ship and cuts the section into pieces.

Divers will cut around the bow up to 1m below the surface, using a combination of magnesium steel with oxygen and electricity to cut the metal.

After two weeks, it is expected helicopters will take the pieces back to port. It is estimated 2400 tonnes of steel will be dumped as scrap.

New salvage master Frank Leckey, of Resolve Marine Group, said a job as big as the Rena came along once every six to seven years. The operation would take up to 150 days with little impact on Motiti Island or the coast. Several crane barges and tugs would be used.

John Owen of Swedish Club, Rena's liability insurer, said there were no plans yet for the rest of the wreckage.

 

Australia: Christmas Island shipwreck cleared

From Australia News:  Christmas Island shipwreck cleared

Christmas Island’s beautiful Flying Fish Cove, which is the scene of one of nature’s most spectacular sights with the red crab migration, has finally been cleared of the rusting, oil-leaking shipwreck that has blocked the port for almost seven months.

Salvage experts today finished an $8.2 million taxpayer-funded operation to remove the MV Tycoon, which smashed against the cove’s jagged cliffs on January 9.

The 85m container ship broke up in big swell, leaking oil and phosphate into Flying Fish Cove’s pristine waters, and triggering fears of an environmental disaster on the island.

More than 1600 tonnes of twisted and rusted scrap metal were removed from the ocean and put onto barges to go to Indonesia to be recycled.

Toby Stone, from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, said a team of 20 people used equipment to cut large pieces of metal, electromagnets to pick up smaller pieces up off the sea bed and divers who picked metal out of the cliffs.

“We have been criticised for delaying the operation. That was our intent because it was unsafe to start it during the cyclone season and we wanted to wait for good weather. It’s been proved it was the right decision,” he said.

Australian taxpayers footed the bill because the container ship’s owners would not co-operate with AMSA over its removal.

Mr Stone said AMSA would seek to recover costs from the MV Tycoon’s owners Tycoon Navigation in Singapore and their insurers, Navigators Protection and Indemnity in London.

Divers have found minimal damage to the marine environment in the cove, but it was not expected to be long-term damage, Mr Stone said.