Residents of Tenerife and La Palma have been captivated by the peculiar behaviour of a U.S. Navy logistical vessel, the Cape Texas (T-ARK-112), which has been navigating in circles between the northern coast of Tenerife and the eastern coast of La Palma for over 24 hours.
The ship's erratic course has drawn the attention of maritime experts and ship-tracking enthusiasts, who are closely monitoring its movements, as speculation grows over the cause of this unusual activity.
The Cape Texas, a cargo ship operated by the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) of the United States Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), has displayed an unexpected and unexplained navigation pattern since the early hours of yesterday, 6th January 2025.
At around 1:26am, the vessel began making repeated loops at an average speed of 15 to 16 knots (approximately 26 to 28 kilometres per hour). Such behaviour suggests that the ship is not engaged in a planned technical stop or a routine wait.
Once named Lyra and Reichenfels in its earlier years, the Cape Texas embarked on this voyage from Charleston, South Carolina, 12 days ago. On 4th January at 10:00pm, it entered the waters surrounding the Canary Islands, and it has since followed a puzzling course near Tenerife’s coastline before moving toward La Palma, where it continues to sail in circles. This erratic navigation has yet to be explained, fuelling theories of mechanical failure or operational challenges.
Comparisons to Recent Incidents
The strange activity of the Cape Texas echoes a similar incident that occurred just days ago. The Gdansk Express, a German container ship, lingered for two days off Tenerife’s northern coast, later continuing its journey at a slower pace along the coastline of Porto Santo. While no definitive explanation emerged from that case, it has drawn parallels to the current situation with the Cape Texas.
Experts in maritime traffic continue to monitor the ship’s progress, alongside amateur enthusiasts who have been actively tracking its course. As the Cape Texas persists in its circular trajectory off the Canary Islands, interest grows, and the mystery deepens.
