Much to the surprise of some Victorians, those towering pillars in the waters near Metchosin belong to a super-massive semi-submersible cargo ship which is on its way through to the coast of mainland BC.
This unique ship, the Hua Rui Long, flies the Chinese flag and has been in operation since 2022. It is used to carry huge loads of oblong equipment and salvage on the 252-metre-long vessel.
It belongs to the Guangzhou Salvage fleet who are currently trying to expand their fleet of similar heavy load carriers.
By the end of 2023, the Hua Rui Long will be one of 13 vessels like it.
It travelled to the waters just off Victoria all the way from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — a journey which has taken nearly two full months as it departed UAE on August 20th and hasn’t yet reached its final destination.
According to the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA), the vessel will be departing from Victoria on Thursday, October 12th and is on its way to Nanaimo.
The GVHA does not know the specifics of its final destination or the cargo it is carrying.
