APL England was on its way from Ningbo, China to Melbourne on Sunday when it returned to Brisbane after a brief lack of momentum left the 277-meter vessel spinning in rough seas and causing many container stacks to spill over about 73 km southeast of Sydney. The master of the ship said 40 containers had been lost into the sea and 74 more on board were damaged.

APL England's 5,510 TEU capacity arrived at the anchorage in Port of Brisbane, where Australian Maritime Safety Authority surveyors boarded the vessel to ensure it was ready for port protection. Once cleared, two harbor tugs, two Queensland water police vessels and a Queensland pollution response vessel escorted the vessel into Moreton Bay.

"These inspection findings are a clear breach of requirements under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)," AMSA said in a statement. "This is a now matter for the ship’s owner, American President Lines (APL), and the operator to rectify."

Meanwhile, surgical masks and bottle spill contents have been discovered washed up on Australian beaches as AMSA continues to provide drift analysis and collaborate with NSW Maritime, the lead agency that responds to shoreline impacts of the disaster.

A New South Wales coastal aerial survey undertaken by AMSA on Wednesday identified two targets which were discovered to be five containers, including one package of four locked containers.

Maritime Business World