Unofficial site — data consolidated from public sources (WHO, ECDC, CDC, French health authorities, verified press). View sources.

The vessel

MV Hondius

Polar expedition vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. Affected by the hantavirus episode declared between April and May 2026.

The polar expedition ship MV Hondius seen in profile, white and blue hull, photographed in port in 2025.
MV Hondius photographed in June 2025. Photo: Stefan Brending — Wikimedia Commons, licence CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.

The vessel

Name
MV Hondius
Flag
Pays-Bas
Operator
Oceanwide Expeditions
Capacity
196 passengers, 89 crew
Built
2019
Captain
Jan Dobrogowski
IMO number
9818709
MMSI
244327000

Live AIS vessel tracking

MV Hondius broadcasts its position through the AIS (Automatic Identification System). Several public services let you check it free of charge. No third-party cookie is loaded from this page: the links below open the AIS services in a new tab, without triggering any tracking from our side.

Status as of August 8, 2026: in service. The vessel resumed expedition cruising on 13 June 2026 from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, carrying 137 passengers and a doctor. It had left Rotterdam on 6 June 2026, after GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond declared it free from contamination and rodents on 30 May 2026, following a full disinfection of all eight decks (hydrogen peroxide on hard surfaces, high-temperature steam on soft furnishings, carried out by EWS Group). The last crew members left quarantine on 20 June 2026. As of August 2026 the vessel is operating normally in North-East Greenland.

Identification: IMO 9818709 · MMSI 244327000 · call sign PCEP · home port Vlissingen (Pays-Bas). Live position: VesselFinder · MyShipTracking · Oceanwide Expeditions — communiqués.

The voyage from April 1, 2026 to May 10, 2026

  1. 8 cases (6 confirmed, 2 probable). Vessel docks at Tenerife (Granadilla de Abona, Canary Islands) at 06:24 local time; 120+ passengers from 23 nationalities disembark under WHO/ECDC coordination.

  2. WHO confirms possible human-to-human transmission. 7 cases (2 confirmed, 5 suspected). Low public risk.

  3. Cape Verde denies entry to the ship.

  4. PCR positive for hantavirus (Andes virus).

  5. Third death — German citizen.

  6. Dutch woman (69) dies. British passenger evacuated to South Africa.

  7. Body disembarked in Saint Helena.

  8. First death — Dutch man (70) near Saint Helena.

  9. MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina.

  10. The vessel continues its voyage to Rotterdam for disinfection, with a reduced crew (25 sailors + 2 medical staff) and the body of an infected German passenger on board.

Illustrated itinerary

The vessel crossed several areas where the Andes virus is endemic in South America. Stops in chronological order, from Ushuaia to Tenerife (Granadilla de Abona):

  1. Vue du port d'Ushuaia (Argentine) en Terre de Feu, avec navires et chaîne montagneuse en arrière-plan.
    Port d'Ushuaia. Photo : Acaro, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego

    Argentina

    Port of departure. The voyage begins here, in the Beagle Channel.

  2. Front de mer de Stanley dans les îles Malouines, vu depuis le port avec maisons colorées.
    Stanley, îles Malouines. Photo : Christof Kemmann, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Falkland Islands (Stanley)

    UK / Argentina

    First port of call after Ushuaia.

  3. Baie de Grytviken en Géorgie du Sud, ancienne station baleinière au pied des montagnes.
    Grytviken, Géorgie du Sud. Photo : Tim Greyhavens, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    South Georgia (Grytviken)

    UK

    Former whaling station, large king penguin colonies.

  4. Panorama de la colonie d'Edinburgh of the Seven Seas sur l'île de Tristan da Cunha, au pied du volcan.
    Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha. Photo : Brian Gratwicke, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

    Tristan da Cunha

    UK

    Most remote inhabited island in the world. ~200 permanent residents, a medical team of 2 and no airstrip. Ship stopover 13-15 April 2026; a British passenger stayed and reported symptoms on 28 April. RAF medical airdrop on 13 May 2026.

  5. Vue satellite de l'île de Sainte-Hélène dans l'Atlantique Sud.
    Île de Sainte-Hélène vue de l'espace. Photo : NASA Expedition 19, Wikimedia Commons, domaine public (NASA).

    Saint Helena (Jamestown)

    UK

    First death. The body of the Dutch passenger is disembarked here.

  6. Vue de Mindelo sur l'île de São Vicente au Cap-Vert, port et baie.
    Mindelo, Cap-Vert. Photo : Manuel de Sousa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Cape Verde (Mindelo) — entry denied

    Cape Verde

    Cape Verde refuses to dock the ship. The MV Hondius is diverted to Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.

  7. Tenerife (Granadilla de Abona)

    Spain

    Final disembarkation at 06:24 local time at the port of Granadilla de Abona, south coast of Tenerife, near Tenerife South airport. Evacuation coordinated by WHO and ECDC; 120+ passengers from 23 nationalities. Vessel captain: Jan Dobrogowski.

According to health authorities, the first patients were most likely contaminated before boarding, during stays in South America.

Current status

The vessel docked at Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife (Canary Islands) on May 10, 2026. Passengers and crew were repatriated to their respective countries with a medical follow-up protocol throughout the incubation period.

Contact tracing continues across 16 countries.