What it's like on board the stranded New Zealand cargo ship

A salvage crew from Maritime New Zealand's helicoptered on to the abandoned cargo ship Rena, hoping to determine whether or not oil can be pumped from the ship before it breaks apart. The massive crack in the hull is clearly visible.

High on the list of jobs I'm glad I don't have is "guy who has to explore a sinking and unstable ship," but it's important work. The Rena's already shed 90 of its more than 1,000 containers, including some containing hazardous materials.

Officials want to get as much oil out of the ship as they can before everything goes tumbling, dramatically, into the ocean.

Photo: Maritime New Zealand/New Zealand Defense Forces