On the move again! Crews free giant container ship blocking Suez Canal

The Ever Given container ship, which has been stuck for nearly a week after running aground in the Suez Canal during high winds, has been freed from its resting place, according to the Associated Press.

The ship was "successfully re-floated" as of Monday morning when the stern (rear) of the ship was freed, according the chairman of Egypt's canal authority, CBS News reported.

Shortly after, with the help of high tide late Monday morning, the bow (front) of the ship was finally freed from the east bank of the Suez Canal. A northeastern wind may have also helped to push the ship away from land.

The ship is now resting in the Great Bitter Lake as it is being inspected to make sure it is safe to continue with its journey to Rotterdam, Netherlands, according to Business Insider.

Satellite images from last week showed the 1,312-foot-long ship with its bow wedged into the eastern bank at a diagonal across the roughly 656-foot-wide Suez Canal, choking off a crucial maritime trade route in new satellite images released Friday by Maxar Images. The Ever Given, which is operated by the Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corp., towered over several tug boats that lined its port side.

Freeing the ship was a technical operation that took six days and several attempts. Ultimately, Mother Nature helped play a role in freeing the vessel.

About 12% of world trade operates through the canal, but concerns are growing over the impact the maritime traffic jam could have on the cost of goods.

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Workers raced against the clock to fully free the ship in an endeavor that is costing the world economy an estimated $400 million in delayed goods for every hour the waterway was blocked, according to shipping data and news company Lloyd's List. The London-based shipping news journal estimated that the value of cargo goods passing through the canal every day to be roughly around $9.7 billion -- westbound traffic valued at $5.1 billion daily and eastbound traffic valued at $4.5 billion daily.

The vessel first became stuck on Tuesday, March 23, on its way from China to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands when it reportedly ran aground amid a severe dust storm that caused high winds and poor visibility in the canal.

The job of dislodging the ship fell to SMIT Salvage BV, one of the largest salvage companies in the world that provides marine emergency response, wreck removal operations and environmental care services.

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