The reefer / refrigerated cargo ship Simphoniya, the first vessel in history to be painted in the Amur tiger’s colours under the Tigerfleet project, has sailed along the Northern Sea Route and reached Arkhangelsk. It took the freighter 13 days to complete the 8,000 kilometre voyage.

Sponsored by the Amur Tiger Centre and the Dobroflot Group of Companies, the aim of the project is to raise public awareness of the efforts being taken to save the population of the Amur tiger and Far Eastern wildlife. Apart from the tiger’s snout on its superstructure, the ship’s hull is painted orange, with stripes; and the stern features a tiger’s tail.

The attention of people is drawn by the ship’s tiger colours, Yury Selyuk, the captain of the Simphoniya, noted. Everyone is surprised when they catch a glimpse of her for the first time, and recalls the 1961 comedy film, Striped Trip.

The freighter was unveiled on 19 July 2019 under the Tigerfleet project in the town of Yuzhno-Morskoi in the Primorye Territory. The Simphoniya’s maiden voyage took her to a fishing area in the Bering Sea; the ship later sailed to Arkhangelsk via the Northern Sea Route.