The Jolly Rubino was an Italian-owned container vessel, which caught fire off of Richards Bay in September 2002. In the severe sea conditions that followed and the sea currents caused the Jolly Rubino too drift out to sea towards the shores of Lake St Lucia. The fire on board prevented the anchor from being dropped thus creating a potential shipping hazard to other ships and the St Lucia coastline, which had already been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site 3 years previously.
Its been nearly two decades since the incident, and the ocean and elements have taken their toll on the boats structure where it is slowly being consumed by the sea and becoming a reef and safe haven for smaller fish species. It would seem the Jolly Rubino has found its final resting place just south of Maphelane.
There also seemed to be no obvious pollutants around the site of the wreck as curious whales had come to inspect it without coming to any harm. In late 2002, the salvage company working in conjunction with environmental and maritime authorities at the expense of the owners managed to remove all of the remaining hazardous cargo and the majority of oil, thereby significantly reducing the threat posed by the vessel to the highly sensitive marine reserve. They also took a number of steps to safeguard the area by removing other materials, which could wash up as debris along the coastline if and when the vessel breaks up.
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