The hopper vessel sank at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.[1]
Safina
Kenya
The ferry collided with a cargo ship off Lamu Island and sank with the loss of nine lives. There were at least 48 survivors.[2][3]
Unidentified ship
Unknown
Overloaded with a cargo of 1,700 tons of stone, the bulk carrier ran aground in the Yangtze River in China after a navigation error. All crewmen on board were rescued.[4]
Skulptor Tomskiy
Belize
The refrigerated cargo ship ran aground in the in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was refloated the next day with the assistance of four tugs.[5]
2 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Delamar
Gibraltar
The cargo ship ran aground near Antwerp, Belgium. The ship was refloated the next day.[6]
4 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Odin Sydfyen
Denmark
The passenger ferry ran aground near Tårs, Denmark. The ship was able to be refloated under her own power.[7]
7 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 7 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
MSC Poesia
Panama
The cruise ship ran aground on a reef off Grand Bahama. The ship remained on the reef for the day until it was eventually pulled off by four tugs.[citation needed]
The phosphate carrier broke her mooring and was pushed into the cliffs at Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island and broke up, spilling oil and phosphate into the sea. All fifteen crew were rescued by Royal Australian NavyRIBs.[8]
11 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 11 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Gibraltar
The cargo vessel ran aground in Kalmar Strait, in the Baltic Sea, Sweden.[9]
While under tow from Dakar the ship sank on the Medina Bank in the Mediterranean Sea.[11]
14 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
South Korea
The tanker broke in two after an explosion onboard near Jawol Island in the Yellow Sea.[12]
15 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 15 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
South Korea
The tanker exploded and sank off with the loss of eleven of her sixteen crew.[13]
Sierra Leone
The tanker sank after an explosion onboard off the city of Durrës in Albania, with one crew member reported dead and two more reported missing.[14]
United Kingdom
The tanker sank off , Dubai. Her five crew were rescued.[15]
Fishing vessel
Unknown
The fishing vessel sank after colliding with the cargo ship Cheng Lu 28 (China) in the Hainan Strait off Hainan, China. Three crew members were reported missing.[16]
16 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Mako
United States
The offshore supply vessel was destroyed by fire and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 6 nautical miles (11 km) off the coast of Nigeria.[17]
Tit Bonhomme
Ireland
The fishing vessel sank, after hitting rocks, near Glandore Harbour, County Cork. Five crew members reported missing.[18]
20 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Philippines
The cargo ship ran aground at Wijk aan Zee, North Holland, Netherlands.[19] The ship was pulled free a day later and brought to IJmuiden for inspection.[20]
Sierra Leone
The cargo ship collided with (Tanzania) off Istanbul, Turkey and was beached. Her thirteen crew were rescued. A temporary repair was made and the ship was refloated. She was taken in to Istanbul.[21]
22 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 22 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Hamed II
United Arab Emirates
The sank off , Dubai with the loss of one of her six crew.[22]
Philippines
The cargo vessel sank off San Jose, Philippines after suffering a severe list. All crew were rescued.[23]
Panama
The cargo vessel sank off Binorong Point, Philippines after her cargo of iron ore shifted. All crew were rescued.[23]
The fishing trawler sank in a storm off Ålesund, Norway. One crew member was rescued by a Royal Norwegian Air Force helicopter, with three others missing.[26] The body of the trawler's captain was recovered from the sea north of Tromsø, Norway, in late March 2012.[27] At the time of her loss, Hallgrímur had been on the way to the breaker's yard at Stoksund in Sør-Trøndelag for scrapping.[28]
The aircraft transport ship struck the Eggner Ferry Bridge over the Kentucky Lake. No injuries or loss of vehicles from the bridge were reported in the late night collision. As of 27 January, the ship remains stranded mid-stream with a large section of bridge wrapped around the upper forward decks, and dragging on the bottom.[29]
27 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 27 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Moldova
The cargo ship was driven ashore near Akpinar, Turkey. Her crew were taken off the next day.[30]
The fishing trawler capsized and broke up after hitting the breakwall at the entrance to the Tweed River, New South Wales, Australia. Two crew were rescued.[32]
Girl Rona
United Kingdom
The trawler capsized after hitting a sandbank whilst trying to enter Teignmouth harbour, Devon. All five crew rescued.[33]
31 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 31 January 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Cambodia
The cargo ship sunk during a storm in the Black Sea.[34]
February[]
2 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 2 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Rabaul Queen
Papua New Guinea
The overloaded passenger ferry sank off the northwest coast of Papua New Guinea near Finschhafen.[35] The final death toll is unknown because the exact number of passengers is unknown; estimates range from 88 to 223,[36][37] with the official Commission of Inquiry estimating the dead at 146 to 165.[38]
5 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 5 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Malta
The cargo ship suffered an onboard explosion and caught fire in the Azov Sea. Her fourteen crew were rescued by the icebreaker (Russia). The severely damaged ship was subsequently anchored off Strilkove, Ukraine.[39]
7 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 7 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Panama
The cargo ship was crushed by ice in the Azov Sea off Kirillovka, Ukraine. Her twelve crew abandoned ship and were subsequently rescued.[40]
Russia
The cargo ship was in collision with (Singapore) off Niigata, Japan. She consequently capsized and sank. Her seventeen crew were rescued.[41]
8 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 8 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Malta
The cargo ship was driven ashore at Samsun, Turkey. Her sixteen crew survived.[42]
The cargo ship collided with two other vessels and sank in the at Ho Chi Minh City with the loss of one of her twelve crew.[43] The vessel was refloated on 23 February.[44]
Cyclone Jasmine: The fishing vessel capsized and foundered off Tongatapu. Her three crew were rescued.[48]
Takuo
Tonga
Cyclone Jasmine: The fishing vessel foundered.[48]
16 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Russia
The tanker ran aground off Iturup Island. Her 20 crew were rescued.[49]
Gibraltar
The cargo ship developed a severe list off Öland Sweden after her cargo shifted. Her six crew were rescued by a Swedish Coast Guard helicopter.[50]Phantom was later towed in to Oskarshamn.[51]
Yogi
France
The super-yacht sank in a storm during the early morning hours off the island of Skyros, Greece.[52] Her eight crew were rescued by a Hellenic Coast Guard helicopter.[53]
18 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 18 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
China
The cargo ship foundered off Hui'an with the loss of ten of her eleven crew.[54]
Russia
The tanker ranaground at Penghu, Taiwan. All sixteen crew were rescued by a Taiwan Coast Guard helicopter.[55]
19 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 19 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Iran
The tug was destroyed by fire in the Persian Gulf. Her nine crew were rescued.[56]
22 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 22 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Netherlands
The tug capsized and sank at Krimpen aan den IJssel, South Holland. Both crew were rescued by (Netherlands).[57]
23 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 23 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Family Union
Spain
The fishing vessel sank off Vélez-Málaga in Spain after it sprung a leak; the crew was rescued.[58]
24 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 24 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The crew vessel ran aground near Houston, Texas. Her four crew were rescued.[59]
27 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 27 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Panama
The container ship ran aground on a reef off Jakarta, Indonesia.[60]
28 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 February 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Russia
The tanker caught fire in the Caspian Sea off Makhachkala and was abandoned with the loss of one of her fourteen crew.[61]
The ferry sprang a leak and sank at Newburgh, New York.[65]
5 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 5 March 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Greece
The tanker capsized and sank, possibly after hitting a shipwreck west of Athens. Ten crew were rescued and one person, the captain, died.[66]
7 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 7 March 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Sweden
The ferry collided in Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland with (Cook Islands.[67]
Philippines
The ferry caught fire off . All 43 passengers were taken off by (Philippines). Cebu Ferry 1 was later towed in to Batangas.[68]
9 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 9 March 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Canada
The bulk carrier caught fire and nearly sank while at port in Hamilton, Ontario.
Antigua and Barbuda
The container ship ran aground off Måløy, Norway and was severely damaged. Twelve of her fourteen crew were taken off, the other two remaining on board to assist with salvage efforts.[69]
10 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 March 2012
Ship
Country
Description
United States
The fishing vessel ran aground at Newport, Oregon in high wind.[70]
Italy
Wreck of MV Gelso M
The chemical tanker ran aground off Syracuse, Sicily. All nineteen crew were rescued by helicopter.[71]
United Kingdom
The bulk carrier was in collision with the refrigerated cargo ship (Liberia 24 nautical miles (44 km) north of Manzanillo, Dominican Republic. Seagate was extensively damaged and was declared a constructive total loss.[72]
13 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 13 March 2012
Ship
Country
Description
South Korea
The tanker capsized and foundered off Guangdong, China. Her eighteen crew were rescued.[73]
The ferry sank about 50 kilometres (27 nmi) south of the capital Dhaka after hitting an oil barge. The death toll early the next morning stood at 110 killed and at least 61 missing.[74]
Panama
The cargo ship foundered off Zhoushan, China with the loss of eight of her 40 crew.[75]
14 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 March 2012
Ship
Country
Description
TG 6715
Vietnam
The tug was struck by a barge and sank in the Dong Nai River at Bien Hoa with the loss of a crew member.[76]
15 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 15 March 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Singapore
The container ship ran aground in the East China Sea 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Fuqing, China and broke in two. All 21 crew were rescued.[77]
The cargo ship suffered a fire in her engine room. All nine crew were rescued by a KNRM lifeboat. The fire was extinguished and her crew returned to the ship, which was towed in to Harlingen, Netherlands.[82]
Antigua and Barbuda
Carrier.
The coaster ran aground at Llanddulas, United Kingdom. All seven crew were rescued.[83] She was declared a constructive total loss and was consequently scrapped in situ.[84]
Hong Kong
The cargo ship foundered in the East China Sea off the Amami Island, Japan with the loss of six of her seventeen crew.[85]
4 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 April 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Haiti
The ro-ro cargo ship was destroyed by fire at Miragoane.[86]
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami: The derelict fishing vessel, which had been drifting in the Pacific Ocean for over a year, was shelled and sunk 195 nautical miles (361 km) off Sitka, Alaska, United States by USCGC Anacapa (United States Navy).[87]
10 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 April 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Vietnam
The cargo ship collided with (Thailand) off Vung Tau and sank. Her sixteen crew were rescued.[88]
23 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 23 April 2012
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The tug sank 45 miles off the Lizard with one of the three crew missing.[89]
30 April[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 April 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Unnamed ferry
India
2012 Assam ferry sinking: The ferry capsized in the Brahmaputra River in the Dhubri district of Assam state in northeastern India; more than 100 bodies were recovered.[90]
The ro-roferry was struck by (Germany) at Travemünde, Germany and sank by the bow until it grounded.[92]
4 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 May 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Igloo
United States
The 14-gross ton, 38.3-foot (11.7 m) salmontroller ran aground near Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport in Sitka, Alaska. Her two crewmen were rescued. Several days later, Igloo sank in 50 feet (15 m) of water 200 yards (180 m) off Cannon Island in Sitka while under tow to a safe location for dismantling.[93]
12 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 12 May 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Japan
The fishing vessel was driven ashore at Cape Town, South Africa. Nineteen of her 28 crew were evacuated by the NSRI.[94]
18 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 18 May 2012
Ship
Country
Description
United Kingdom
The wreck of the fishing vessel was found one day after she went missing ten miles off Portland, England in 50 m. One body recovered and two missing.[95]
19 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 19 May 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Turkey
The cargo ship sank in the Ionian Sea between Zakynthos and the Greek mainland with the loss of four of her ten crew.[96]
23 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 23 May 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Solomon Islands
The inter-island cargo ship sank for unknown reasons near the Solomon Islands. All on board were rescued from life rafts several days later.[97]
26 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 26 May 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Russia
The fishing trawler was holed by ice in the Bering Sea and foundered off . Her 90 crew were rescued by Derzu Uzala (Russia).[98]
29 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 29 May 2012
Ship
Country
Description
China
The coaster foundered off Shanghai with the loss of at least three lives. Two survivors were rescued.[99]
June[]
25 June[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 June 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Flash
grounded at Galite Islands, Tunisia, later laid up until 2017. In 2017 scrapped in Aliaga[100]
. Typhoon Vicente: The ship sank off Hong Kong. Her crew were rescued.[101]
14 July[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 July 2012
Ship
Country
Description
MSC Flaminia
Germany
The damaged MSC Flaminia
The container ship suffered an onboard explosion and fire in the Atlantic Ocean (47°52′N30°44′W / 47.867°N 30.733°W / 47.867; -30.733) with the loss of two of her crew of 23. Survivors abandoned ship and were rescued by (Bahamas).
The inactivated Mars-classcombat stores ship was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean 61 nautical miles (70 miles; 113 km) off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, by a Mark 48 torpedo fired by the submarineHMCS Victoria (Royal Canadian Navy) during the RIMPAC 2012 exercise.
The ferry sank in the Indian Ocean off Zanzibar with great loss of life. Only 145 of the 280 people on board were reported to have been rescued as of 23 July, with 78 bodies recovered.[102]
The bulk carrier broke in two after breaking her moorings and drifting to the shore near Sacheon, South Korea. The ship had been struck by another vessel eight months earlier and was awaiting for repairs. The ship was declared constructive total loss and scrapped in situ.[107]
30 August[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 August 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Two unidentified barges
United States
The two retired 50-foot (15.2 m) barges were scuttled in the North Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) off Mantoloking, New Jersey, in 80 feet (24 m) of water at 40°03.585′N073°59.391′W / 40.059750°N 73.989850°W / 40.059750; -73.989850 (Swensen Barge) both to serve as an artificial reef and as a means of delivering a 47-foot (14.3 m) sculpture of a horseshoe crab intended to lie on the seafloor as part of the reef. Bridles holding the sculpture to the barges broke as the barges sank, causing the sculpture to fall off the barges, hit the seafloor first, and shatter, and the pieces of the sculpture were damaged further when the sinking barges landed on top of them. The wrecks of the two barges and the wreckage of the sculpture are known collectively as the "Horseshoe Crab barge."[108]
The 2,500 DWT cargo vessel ran aground on Pierre au Vraic rocks near Alderney during her maiden voyage. After making temporary repairs to a leak in her stern she made it to Falmouth Docks for further repairs.[112][113]
24 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 24 September 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Bahamas
The 113,357 DWT[114]oil tanker, ran aground on a shoal to the east of the island of Aegna near Tallinn, Estonia. The 250-metre (820 ft 3 in) tanker was not carrying cargo, but was reportedly leaking bilge water.[115]
25 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 September 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Panama
The cargo ship was severely damaged by fire off the coast of South Africa. She was towed into Durban in late October.[116]
26 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 26 September 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Indonesia
The passenger ferry sank after collision with LPG/chemical tanker (Singapore) off Jakarta, Indonesia, resulting in loss of eight lives. Over 200 passengers and crew were rescued. The tanker received minor structural damage, but was not in danger of sinking.[117]
27 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 27 September 2012
Ship
Country
Description
China
The cargo ship caught fire in Osaka Bay. Her twelve crew were rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard.[118]
28 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 September 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Bahamas
The cargo ship was driven ashore at Valencia, Spain.[119]
Antigua and Barbuda
Celia
The cargo ship was driven ashore at Valencia. She was refloated on 24 October with assistance from (Spain).[119][120]
The cargo ship ran aground 55 nautical miles (102 km) south o Bergen.[124]
5 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 5 October 2012
Ship
Country
Description
China
The cargo ship caught fire in the Inland Sea of Japan.[118]
14 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 October 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Sweden
The bulk carrier ran aground and was damaged between Nynashamn and Trosa.[125]
20 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 October 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Denmark
The dredger capsized and sank in shallow water with the hull partially above water in the Kattegat off Odense. Her four crew were rescued by helicopter.[126]
21 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 21 October 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship ran aground at , Greece. She was on a voyage from Gemlik, Turkey to Antwerp, Belgium.[127] She was refloated on 24 October and taken into .[128]
The full-rigged shipwas abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean 90 nautical miles (170 km) south east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. All sixteen crew took to the lifeboats.[132] The ship later sank, two people were reported to be missing.[133]
30 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 October 2012
Ship
Country
Description
John B. Caddell
United States
John B. Caddell
The tanker was driven ashore at Staten Island, New York, by Hurricane Sandy.[134]
Vietnam
Cyclone Nilam: The cargo ship sank in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka. Eighteen of her 22 crew were rescued.[135]
31 October[]
List of shipwrecks: 31 October 2012
Ship
Country
Description
India
Cyclone Nilam: The chemical tanker was driven ashore at Besant Nagar with the loss of six of her 37 crew.[136][137] She was refloated on 11 November with assistance from the tug (India).[138]
November[]
3 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 3 November 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Conmar Cape
Antigua and Barbuda
The cargo ship ran aground off Subic Bay, Philippines. She was on a voyage from Manila, Philippines to Hong Kong.[139] She was refloated between 16 and 18 November.[140]
10 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 November 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Atoll
Russia
The tug foundered in the Sea of Azov. Her three crew were rescued.[141]
A fire broke out on the vehicle deck of the ro-roferry whilst she was on a voyage from Venice, Italy to Patras. She was evacuated on arrival at Patras. There were no injuries amongst her 87 crew and 113 passengers.[143]
28 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 28 November 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Tundra
Cyprus
The bulk carrier ran aground in the Saint Lawrence River. She was on a voyage from Montreal, Quebec to Halifax, Nova Scotia.[144] She was refloated on 5 December and taken into Trois-Rivières, Quebec.[145]
29 November[]
List of shipwrecks: 29 November 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Antigua and Barbuda
The cargo ship ran aground in Kalmar Strait and was in danger of sinking due to flooding of engine room. She was consequently beached on a sandbank.[146][147] She was refloated on 1 December and towed into Kalmar.[148]
December[]
4 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 December 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Germany
The cargo ship was driven ashore at Kilyos, Turkey.[149]
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The general cargo ship sank in a storm off the coast of Turkey. Of the crew of 11, four were rescued and one is confirmed dead. Two rescuers were also killed and three remain missing when the boat carrying them hit rocks and sank.[150]
5 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 5 December 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Baltic Ace
Bahamas
The car carrier and container shipCorvus J (Cyprus) collided in the North Sea some 22 to 27 nautical miles (40 to 50 km) from the port of Rotterdam. As a result, Baltic Ace began taking on water and was sinking as the rescue boats and a helicopter rushed to the scene. Of the crew of 24, five were confirmed dead and six remained missing, presumed dead while 13 crew members were rescued.[151]
6 December[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 December 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Russia
The hopper ship sank at Ust-Luga. Her six crew survived.[152]
7 December[]
List of shipwrecks: December 2012
Ship
Country
Description
Russia
The cargo ship ran aground near , Sakhalin. She was on a voyage from Vladivostok to Korsakov.[153]
^"Hansa Berlin". IncidentNews. Emergency Response Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.