The 41-year-old Chinese man was reported missing on Monday afternoon from the 206,000-dwt Cape Splendor (built 2014) while it was anchored 25km outside Port Hedland.
Sergeant Michael Weir from the local water police told Australian media: "He was actually doing a bit of recreational activities off the back of the ship at the time, [he] wasn't working as such, but was doing some fishing from a gangplank that was down the side of the ship."
