The ship, Caledonian Sky, mistakenly sailed through the pristine site off the island of Raja Ampat, the BBC reports. The vessel was on a bird watching trip when it veered slightly off course and ran aground at low tide.
London-based Noble Caledonia said the incident was “unfortunate” and said it would cooperate with an investigation.
Reports say the damage was worsened when a tug was deployed to help re-float the ship, instead of waiting until the water rose. Official sources say about 1,600 square metres of coral was damaged.
Caledonian Sky was undamaged, but there has been an outcry from local dive companies that say the coral will take decades to regrow.
