
Getty Image / Suez Canal Authority/Handout/AFP via Getty Images
It has been several days now that the gargantuan cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal. The results have been a shipping nightmare…but it has also provided some awesome memes.
On Tuesday, a 1,300-foot mega-container vessel MV Ever Given (Evergreen) from Taiwain floated sideways and got wedged on the banks of the Suez Canal in Egypt. The massive ship that can transport 20,000 20-foot shipping containers and is one of the longest “mega-ships” currently in operation blocked the Suez Canal, and all of the cargo ships behind it. The sailing faux-pas is holding up an estimated $400 million an hour in trade, according to shipping data and news company Lloyd’s List. Lloyd’s List estimates the value of the canal’s westbound traffic is approximately $5.1 billion a day, and eastbound traffic at around $4.5 billion a day.
"Is there a traffic jam?" Answer 👇https://t.co/vD2GYX2bAG
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 23, 2021
NARRATOR: the all-important #SuezCanal lets ships bypass the historically treacherous Horn of Africa…
… to mariners, canal officials have a historic reputation for 'appreciating' cartons of cigarettes…earning it the nickname "Marlboro Canal" pic.twitter.com/TXmC6v5nje
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 23, 2021
“The key to this problem hinges on how much longer it will take to move the Ever Given,” said Alan Baer, President of logistics provider, OL USA LLC. “USA importers face arrival delays of three days right now and this will continue to grow as long as the disruption continues.”
#EverGiven drawing a cock and balls before blocking the #SuezCanal is peak 2021. pic.twitter.com/aC7kzEkQmE
— Anna (@Gatsbyspants) March 23, 2021
To attempt to remedy this shipping catastrophe, one single small single excavator to dig out the gigantic vessel. The cartoonish visual made for a perfect new meme format.
Managed to dig out good part of the bulbous thingy. It's still stuck. #Evergiven #SuezCanal #Suez pic.twitter.com/zbeD59LA6V
— Guy With The Digger At Suez Canal (@SuezDiggerGuy) March 25, 2021
Anyone having an extra excavator available? pic.twitter.com/sj1pc7uQZ1
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) March 25, 2021
There were memes based on Austin Powers, Friends, and more.
What is happing in #SuezCanal today explained.#Egypt
pic.twitter.com/T06bFDGQ7q— Zaina Erhaim (@ZainaErhaim) March 24, 2021
Our future trade routes depending on the small crane trying to widen the #SuezCanal pic.twitter.com/K2b1YSLI0Q
— Niels Gheyle (@NGheyle) March 24, 2021
Evergreen pic.twitter.com/QX33cgM6tC
— RedPen-kinases-BlackPen (@redpenblackpen) March 24, 2021
I love the internet#SuezCanal pic.twitter.com/jMPWGftvT3
— Mohamed El Dahshan (@eldahshan) March 24, 2021
the situation in the Suez Canal has escalated pic.twitter.com/a5UVNmuGe7
— James Grebey (@jgrebes) March 25, 2021
— goobernetes (@worace) March 23, 2021
glad i decided to take the panama canal instead of the suez today
— slick (@dlicj) March 24, 2021
— Ben Harris-Roxas (@ben_hr) March 24, 2021
— Arnthor Asgrimsson (@addiiceland) March 24, 2021
When you feel stressed at work, take a look at this tiny excavator. The burden of dredging the route between Asia and Europe rests squarely on its shoulders. #EVERGIVEN #suezcanal pic.twitter.com/mCoehqgOxc
— Vsy (@vsy) March 24, 2021
Keeping an eye on the Suez Canal incident has shown me that no matter how bad my day is, halting global trade during a pandemic by parallel parking my 50,000 ton cargo ship in a tiny canal probably has some guy feeling a tad worse #suezcanal pic.twitter.com/EjUhYStZlY
— Oliver Fletcher (@OliverxFletcher) March 24, 2021
— Deeba Shadnia (@deebashadnia) March 24, 2021
Did anyone else notice the containers spell out LOL? #Suez #suezcanel #EVERGIVEN #evergreen pic.twitter.com/BIoUMamFLv
— Pzyko Claus (@pzykosiz) March 25, 2021
Good news for today: whatever happens, at least you're not the guy who got his boat stuck in the suez canal and broke maritime shipping
— The Higgs Boatswain (@jephjacques) March 24, 2021
The internet attempted to devise solutions for the stuck ship.
Tension rises over new attempt to re-float ship in #SuezCanal #EVERGIVEN #oott pic.twitter.com/EOHZS3qQmM
— ForexFlow (@forexflowlive) March 24, 2021