When the 51,000 DWT Maltese-flagged tanker Alithina II sailed in ballast from Nigeria to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria she carried a most unusual cargo. Because she sailed in ballast and was riding high in the water, three stowaways were found sitting on top of the ship’s rudder by the Spanish Coast Guard. The three men had survived the 11-day voyage of more than 2,700 nautical miles sitting on the rudder with their feet less than a meter above the water. 

The men were taken to a hospital in Gran Canaria and treated for moderate dehydration.

The BBC reports that the number of migrants crossing on boats from west Africa to the Spanish-owned Canary Islands has risen significantly in recent years. The journeys are long, hazardous, and deadly. In 2021, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 1,126 deaths on the route.

Stowaways found on ship’s rudder after surviving 11-day trip

Thanks to Stephen Phelps for contributing to this post.