The really sad part of this whole fiasco is that some of the containers have the personal belongings of those emigrating to/from New Zealand inside. Those containers that ended up in the water will of course be water-logged and the contents destroyed.

I remember in July 2007 when the container ship the MSC Napoli got beached near Sidmouth in Devon - incidentally off a World Heritage Coast site. Many (most) of the containers that washed up were looted by the locals and visitors alike - INCLUDING those containing other people's personal effect. Not good.