Fact Check: Viral video showing cruise ships dumping raw sewage into ocean is AI generated
Cruise ships are large passenger ships designed primarily for leisure and vacationing, transporting passengers between
Cruise ship dumping sewage
Cruise ships are large passenger ships designed primarily for leisure and vacationing, transporting passengers between different ports, rather than for travel between two specific locations. They offer a variety of amenities and activities onboard, such as dining, entertainment, and relaxation facilities, making them a form of vacation that combines travel with entertainment. Cruise ships can accommodate thousands of guests and crew. They offer a wide range of facilities like restaurants, bars, swimming pools, theatres, casinos, etc. Cruise lines offer different levels of service and amenities catering to various preferences and budgets.
Meanwhile, a video showing a humungous cruise ship openly spilling liters of brown liquid into the ocean using huge pipes is in circulation on social media with the captions like “The Dark Side of Luxury Cruises: A Wake-Up Call. Imagine enjoying a luxurious cruise, only to realize that thousands of gallons of sewage and wastewater are being dumped into the ocean beneath you. According to environmental reports, cruise ships release over a billion gallons of waste into the sea every year, including human waste, greywater, and toxic chemicals. Shockingly, this practice is legal in many areas once the ship is 3+ miles offshore. But at what cost? Marine life suffers, ecosystems collapse, and we contribute to the destruction of our oceans—all for the sake of convenience. It’s time to demand accountability from the cruise industry. Stricter regulations, sustainable waste management, and consumer awareness can drive change. Would you still board a cruise knowing this?”
Some users tagged and credited a user named ‘tokshopit’ while sharing the video with the captions like "What Is being dumped into the ocean? #ocean #ship #
tokshopit"
Here is the archive link of the claim.
Fact Check:
The claim that the video shows real cruise ships dumping sewage into the ocean is false. The video is an AI-generated video.
We found a Facebook post shared by a user, Crafty School, shared the same video with the caption “Cruise ship dumping sewage into an ocean (AI), partner: Cherry Chuckle. This post clearly indicates that the video is an AI-generated one.”
When we looked at the comments and tags of the viral posts, we found that the viral video was credited to ‘tokshopit’, a TikTok user. When we searched more about this TikTok user, we found an article published by a website named lessurligneurs. It states that “The first instance of this video can be found on the TikTok account, Tokshopit . The accou
We checked the viral video using Deepfake detector Hive Moderation, we found that the video is an AI-generated video. Here are the screenshots of the video.
Upon further research to understand whether cruise ships dump their sewage into the oceans without any control and regulations, we found that according to the International Maritime Organisation’s MARPOL regulations, state cruise ships are required to have approved sewage treatment plants or systems for treating sewage. Discharge of untreated sewage into the sea is prohibited within a specified distance from the nearest land, and ships must have adequate reception facilities at ports.
Specific regulations govern the discharge of treated sewage, including limitations on the rate of discharge and requirements for treatment plants or systems. Cruise ships must follow regulations for the disposal of all types of garbage, including food waste, domestic waste, plastics, cargo residues, and incinerator ashes.
Discharge of garbage into the sea is generally prohibited, with some exceptions for certain types of garbage under specific conditions. Reception facilities in ports must be available to receive and manage ship-generated garbage.
According to the International Maritime Organisation website, when cruise ships do not follow these regulations, they are penalised heavily.
According to reports, on several cruises (Holland America, Carnival cruise line) run by organisations like Carnival, all of that waste is either processed via biodigesters or dehydrators, or offloaded on shore.
When searched if cruise ships pollute the oceans and affect climate change, we found a few research papers confirming that despite the technical advances and some surveillance programmes, the cruise ships remain the major source of air, water and land pollution affecting fragile habitats, areas and species, and also a potential source of physical and mental human health risks.
Cruise ships traditionally rely on emission-producing fossil fuels. A medium-sized vessel produces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to as many as 12,000 cars. Even the most efficient vessels emit more carbon dioxide per passenger per kilometre than a passenger jet. Cruise ships emit carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulphur oxides (SOₓ), and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), which contribute to poor air quality, particularly in port cities. A study by Transport & Energy shows that European cruise ships emitted as many sulphur oxides in 2022 as 1 billion cars. Cruise ships cause marine pollution through the disposal of waste and ballast water. They generate vast amounts of sewage and grey water, which is often discharged into the ocean, impacting marine ecosystems. Although international regulations are in place to limit the practice, this kind of pollution still occurs.
Hence, though it is true that the cruise ships pollute the ocean water by dumping sewage and other pollutants, causing climate change, the viral video does not show a real cruise ship dumping sewage water into the ocean; it is an AI-generated one. The claim that the viral video shows a cruise ship dumping sewage is False.