The tropical paradise of the Solomon Islands is no stranger to tourism. But now visitors are flocking to the archipelago for a very unusual reason.

Cruise ship the MS World Discoverer ran aground in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific in 2000 near a golden sandy beach popular with holidaymakers to this day. Since then, the ship has been left to rust and rot in the shallow water in Roderick Bay, becoming an eerie sight popular with so-called ‘dark tourists’.

Dark tourism involves visiting places associated with death, tragedy, or other upsetting events. While it may seem macabre, many destinations – such as the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland or the 9/11 memorial in New York City – provide opportunities to learn about and reflect on historic tragedies. 

The MS World Discoverer, which cost the equivalent of £40million to build, was crafted by German shipbuilders Schichau Unterweser in 1973. It spent almost 30 years sailing to destinations including Antarctica, Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Alaska, and between the US and Canada.

The ship boasted an observation lounge, library, lecture hall, swimming pool, sun deck, and a fitness centre, and was built to smash through ice sheets and withstand icebergs. But on April 30, 2000, disaster struck when the ship hit a large uncharted rock or reef in the Sandfly Passage in the Solomon Islands after the captain reportedly sent a distress signal. 

Brit David Wright was on board the ship at the time, and speaking to the Scottish Herald the following month, said: “It was just rammed into the beach, breaking trees in the forest, which stretches down to the shore.”

“It was quite spectacular,” he continued. “When we reached the beach, we could see a tree hanging from the prow of the ship.”

Thankfully, every passenger and crew member was able to get to safety, but, despite attempts to recover the liner, it couldn’t be saved.

Today, the massive ship stands as a local landmark, heavily rusted and leaning to one side, with trees and vegetation growing out of it.

Tours can be arranged, and while some holidaymakers decide to look at the liner from Roderick Bay’s sands, others take a look at it from up close.