Inside world’s biggest ship graveyard where 300 abandoned vessels are left to rot releasing toxic waste into the sea

THE world’s biggest ship graveyard lies on the shore of Mauritania with 300 vessels left to rot releasing toxic waste into the sea.

The rusting hulks are scattered along the coast of Nouadhibou bay after being illegally abandoned by owners.

The views of the Atlantic Ocean from Mauritania‘s coast are marred by scrapped ships which were sent here on their last voyage from all over the world.

In the poverty-ridden country, it is cheaper for seafarers to leave their unwanted vessels to decay than to dismantle them.

Dismantling a ship can leave a dent in one’s pocket, and savvy owners found that they can dispose of their boats for just a small bribe instead.

Even though Nouadhibou is the second-largest city in Mauritania, and serves as a commercial hotspot – the unemployment in the area is high.

This has allowed for the corruption to run rampant with the venal local politicians turning a blind eye to the illegal littering of the shore when offered a moderate fee.

The practice was especially popular in the 1980s when the fishing industry fell under the control of the government.

Since then, the vessels have been ditched in the desert nation to slowly perish – with toxic oils, paints and rust seeping into the waters.

The necropolis has accumulated an array of boats over the years from fishing trawlers, cargo vessels to naval cruisers.

But one of the graveyard’s most popular wreckage is the United Malike reefer vessel.

The 388-foot ship was built in 1979 but ran its course in 2003 when it was abandoned by the Moroccan owners.

The vessel carrying a cargo of fish ran aground near the shore of Nouadhibou and the 17-member crew had to be rescued by the Mauritanian Navy.

There are a few unexpected advantages that the decaying ships have brought about, despite the environmental risks posed by hazardous paints pouring into the bay.

The wrecks’ decaying hulls have actually given fish and other underwater life new homes, providing the city’s critically important fishing sector a much-needed boost.

This is in addition to the ongoing salvage business that has cropped up around the wrecks.

With money flowing thanks to the 300 stranded ships, there is little incentive to stop the illegal ship dumping – securing the graveyard the title of the world’s biggest.