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Google's Suez Canal Easter egg brings boatloads of fun

A search for "Suez Canal" or "Ever Given" surfaces a hidden surprise.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
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Ever Given ship

Google is joining in on the celebration after the Ever Given ship was finally freed on Monday. 

 Getty Images

Now that the Ever Given cargo ship has finally been freed after spending nearly a week stuck in the Suez Canal, Google has launched a celebratory Easter egg in its Search results. A search for "Suez Canal" or "Ever Given" pulls up an animation of little boats rolling across the top of the page. 

Egypt's Suez Canal is one of the most critical waterways in the world. It connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, allowing for direct shipping from Europe to Asia. Around 12% of the world's trade and a significant part of its oil supply goes through the canal. 

The 1,312-foot-long Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal for around six days, causing delays in cargo shipments of everything from food to clothing to oil. A handful of tugboats helped to refloat the ship on Sunday, and it was eventually fully freed on Monday.

The ship, which was on its way to Rotterdam from China, was knocked off course by strong winds on March 23. It was holding around 20,000 shipping containers of cargo, estimated to be worth $9 billion. 

"The accident is mainly due to the lack of visibility resulting from bad weather conditions as the country passes through a dust storm, with wind speed reaching 40 knots," Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie had said in a statement. After the ship was freed, Rabie reportedly said the blockage led to estimated daily losses of between $12 million and $15 million.