Why So Much World Trade Passes Mauritius’s Pristine Beaches
- The island lies on the shortest route from Cape Town to Asia
- Sailing far from land means far from help or human contact
Oil from the Wakashio vessel is pushed by currents towards the Grand Port bay.
Source: AFP via Getty Images
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The bulk carrier Wakashio was 11 days into a month-long voyage to Brazil when it hit a reef off Mauritius causing it to spill fuel into the island’s crystal clear waters, endangering baby turtles and unique plants in a nearby nature reserve. Given the vastness of the Indian ocean, why was the vessel there in the first place?