Tanker · 1959–1967 · Cornwall, United Kingdom
SS Torrey Canyon
Also known as Torrey Canyon.
No shipwreck in British waters had a greater impact on environmental policy than the Torrey Canyon. When this Liberian-flagged supertanker struck Pollard's Rock on the Seven Stones reef in March 1967, about 120,000 tons of her crude cargo poured out, and Britain had never suffered a worse spill.
The government's desperate response included RAF bombing runs with napalm to incinerate the remaining cargo, an operation watched by millions on television. The disaster rewrote international maritime law and birthed the modern framework for oil pollution response.
Her scattered wreckage lies across the reef, fifteen miles west of Land's End, overgrown with marine life, the steel slowly yielding to the ocean that made the Torrey Canyon a household name.
- Type
- TankerAmerican
- Year built
- 1959Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia, USA
- Lost
- March 18th, 1967Grounding
- Tonnage
- 61,263 GRTsteam turbine
- Length
- 296 m
- Depth
- 25–35 m
- Location
- Cornwall, United KingdomCeltic Sea
1 of 7 facts above is cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 114 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost March 18th, 1967 · Grounding · Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Ran aground on Pollard's Rock, Seven Stones reef, between Cornwall mainland and Isles of Scilly. Caused the largest oil spill in UK history (~120,000 tons). RAF bombed the wreck with napalm and high explosives to burn off remaining cargo. The disaster led directly to international maritime pollution conventions.
Built 1959 by Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia, USA; 8 years in service, also recorded as Torrey Canyon. Lost March 18th, 1967, grounding.
The Voyage
- Cargo
- Approximately 860,000 barrels of crude oil
Condition of the WreckScattered, in 25–35 m.
Intactness
Heavily broken up after RAF bombing and decades of Atlantic exposure. Wreckage scattered across the reef among boulders and gullies.
Notable Features
- Largest oil spill in UK history
- Bombed by RAF to burn cargo
- Seven Stones reef — extremely exposed
- Catalyst for international pollution law
Additional Details12 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- American
- Flag
- Liberia
- Builder
- Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia, USA
- Propulsion
- Steam turbine
- Loss date
- March 18th, 1967
- Latitude
- 50.04° N
- Longitude
- 6.13° W
- Water body
- Celtic Sea
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Scattered
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record6 facts
- SAFETY4SEAsafety4sea.com · Secondary source1 fact
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · Background reading2 facts
Background reading is listed for context and is not counted as a citation for the facts above.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
A further 3 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SS Torrey Canyon?
SS Torrey Canyon is the wreck of a tanker, off Cornwall, United Kingdom, at 35 metres. SS Torrey Canyon ran aground and was wrecked in 1967.
How deep is the SS Torrey Canyon?
SS Torrey Canyon lies at 25 to 35 metres, Pollard's Rock, Seven Stones reef, 15 miles west of Land's End.
How did the SS Torrey Canyon sink?
SS Torrey Canyon ran aground and was wrecked on March 18th, 1967, off Cornwall, United Kingdom.