Genesis fishing vessel destroyed after Orkney Islands shipwreck

The Galician-owned fishing vessel Genesis has been destroyed after running aground near the Old Man of Hoy cliffs in the Orkney Islands, north of Scotland. Ten days after the initial grounding on October 1, 2026, heavy seas and rugged terrain caused the 35-meter longliner to break into three distinct sections: the bow, the bridge, and the stern.

All 17 crew members, including three Spaniards, one Portuguese, one Argentine, and 13 Indonesians, were successfully rescued by helicopter during a complex maritime and aerial operation shortly after the vessel sent a distress signal.

Local authorities are now organizing efforts to collect debris from the wreck. The vessel, owned by the Ribeira-based company Basoñas Mar, was previously intended to be refloated to prevent environmental contamination, but the force of the waves has rendered the ship completely shattered. This incident follows a similar shipwreck involving another Galician-owned vessel, the Fastnet, in the Irish Sea ten months prior.