Few experts are expecting ships waiting at the Suez Canal to be diverted in droves unless the closure is confirmed to last for an extended period.

That's even though more than 150 vessels are waiting after the 20,388-teu Ever Given (built 2018) grounded in the key waterway on Tuesday, leading to a complete shutdown of traffic. The top executive of Boskalis, whose Smit Salvage is responding to the incident, said it could take weeks to refloat the vessel.