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What was the Yellow Fleet in the Great Bitter Lake?

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Cargo ships travel along the wide Suez Canal in Egypt, bordered by sandy desert on one side and greenery on the other. — Suez Canal Ships in the Suez Canal in Egypt. One of the world's most important shipping lanes, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The "Yellow Fleet" refers to a group of 15 merchant ships that became trapped in the Great Bitter Lake following the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war in June 1967.1

When Egypt barricaded both ends of the Suez Canal, these vessels were stranded for the entire duration of the conflict, as the canal served as a front line between Egyptian and Israeli forces. The ships earned the nickname "Yellow Fleet" due to the desert sand that gradually accumulated on their decks over the years.1

During their confinement, the international crews of the anchored ships maintained a sense of community and provided mutual support, although most crew members were eventually permitted to leave by 1969. When the canal finally reopened in June 1975, only two of the 15 trapped vessels were still capable of leaving the lake under their own power.1