Ship Forced From Guam After Invasion by Thousands of Spiders

Published February 05, 2015

Officials in the Pacific island of Guam ordered a commercial ship to return to South Korea after thousands of spiders poured out from its cargo, U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported Friday.

The creepy crawlies, the largest of which had bodies the size of quarters, were discovered shortly after the M.V. Altavia arrived Wednesday evening. The ship was then moored just off the island as officials tried to determine the spiders' species.

When it still remained unclear Friday afternoon whether or not the arachnids were venomous or in any way dangerous, officials ordered the removal of the vessel.

“It was because of the quantity,” Stars and Stripes quoted Joseph Torres, director of the Guam Department of Agriculture as saying. “It behooved us to take the most extreme measure.”

The ship's cargo was construction material to be used to build a facility to house crews that would one day construct new U.S. military bases on Guam.

However, the invasion of spiders signaled another example of the challenges the U.S. military faces during its attempts to turn the island into a military hub, the website reported.

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https://www.foxnews.com/tech/ship-forced-from-guam-after-invasion-by-thousands-of-spiders