On Wednesday, 5 October 2011, at 2:20 AM while sailing from Napier to Tauranga, the Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
 The ship was carrying 1,368 containers, eight of which contained hazardous materials, as well as 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 200 tonnes of marine diesel.

By Sunday, 9 October, a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) oil slick threatened wildlife and the area's rich fishing waters.
Oil from the Rena began washing ashore at Mount Maunganui beach on 10 October.
Bad weather that night caused the ship to shift on the reef, and the crew were evacuated.
The shifting of the ship caused further damage, resulting in a further 130–350 tonnes of oil leaking.

On 11 October the spill was declared New Zealand's worst ever maritime environmental disaster by Environment Minister Nick Smith.

By 13 October the ship was listing by 20°, and 88 of her 1368 containers had fallen into the sea.

Due to increased pressure to her hull, Rena was expected at any point to split in two, furthering the environmental impact of the disaster.
It was reported on 14 October 2011, that Rena had cracked in two, held together only by her internal structure and the reef itself.

On 8 January 2012, it was reported that the Rena had broken in two, and while the bow section remained firmly grounded on the reef, the split had caused both sections to slew away from each other and settle lower in the water.
This caused further debris and oil to be released into the sea.
By 10 January the stern section had been submerged almost completely, and on 4 April it slipped further down the reef and disappeared completely from the surface.
On Wednesday, 5 October 2011, at 2:20 AM while sailing from Napier to Tauranga, the Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.  The ship was carrying 1,368 containers, eight of which contained hazardous materials, as well as 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 200 tonnes of marine diesel.
By Sunday, 9 October, a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) oil slick threatened wildlife and the area's rich fishing waters. Oil from the Rena began washing ashore at Mount Maunganui beach on 10 October. Bad weather that night caused the ship to shift on the reef, and the crew were evacuated. The shifting of the ship caused further damage, resulting in a further 130–350 tonnes of oil leaking.
On 11 October the spill was declared New Zealand's worst ever maritime environmental disaster by Environment Minister Nick Smith.
By 13 October the ship was listing by 20°, and 88 of her 1368 containers had fallen into the sea.
Due to increased pressure to her hull, Rena was expected at any point to split in two, furthering the environmental impact of the disaster. It was reported on 14 October 2011, that Rena had cracked in two, held together only by her internal structure and the reef itself.
On 8 January 2012, it was reported that the Rena had broken in two, and while the bow section remained firmly grounded on the reef, the split had caused both sections to slew away from each other and settle lower in the water. This caused further debris and oil to be released into the sea. By 10 January the stern section had been submerged almost completely, and on 4 April it slipped further down the reef and disappeared completely from the surface.
MV Rena