Tanzanian ship which ran aground in Mombasa finally pulled out of the Kenya reefs

The Tanzanian ship, MV Dan, that huge vessel which had been stuck aground in Mombasa, Kenya has finally been pulled out of the quagmire.

MV Dan had been sitting stranded off Nyali Beach for almost three months.

The Tanzanian-flagged general cargo vessel was successfully refloated on August 15, 2026, after being grounded in Mombasa since May 18, 2026.

The operation to refloat the vessel was carried out by Yaa Holdings Limited, working with Kenyan seafarers, in coordination with the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), Kenya Navy and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

The ship was safely freed and moved to Mtongwe Anchorage in Mombasa for further inspection and assessment.

The 16 crew members and four private security personnel who had remained onboard during the ordeal are also said to be safe.

The operation to pull out the ship also ended without the marine pollution that environmentalists and others had feared could occur if the vessel was damaged or leaked fuel.

According to the report published by Maritime Business Review on the day of the refloating, MV Dan’s hull remained intact and no pollution was recorded during the salvaging operation.

That’s a huge relief, especially considering the vessel had been stranded near the sensitive marine environment around the Mombasa Marine National Park and its coral reefs.

MV Dan ran aground off Nyali Beach for over three months.

It got stuck in corals while travelling from Tanzanian waters to Mombasa for bunkering.

It was expected to be a temporary maritime incident but ended up lasting for more than 90 days.

The incident transformed the ship into an unexpected sight off the Mombasa coastline.

During that time, the KCGS maintained round-the-clock security, protecting the crew onboard while preventing unauthorized access and vandalism.

Fuel was also reportedly transferred to upper tanks as a precaution while authorities continued monitoring the vessel for any pollution risk.

So why did it take almost three months to get MV Dan out?

Well, the salvors couldn’t just rush the job… They first had to secure the specialized equipment, complete the technical and regulatory checks, and then wait for the right weather and high-tide conditions to pull the vessel free. Unfortunately, an earlier opportunity in mid-July had already passed while the equipment was still being secured.

So what happens to the ship now?

MV Dan is expected to undergo inspections and assessments to determine its condition and seaworthiness. Hopefully, once those checks are complete, the vessel can safely continue its journey