600 Gallons of Oil Spills Off Galapagos Islands After Ship Overturns, Threatening Wildlife

Photo: Galapagos Conservancy/Twitter

Officials in Ecuador are working to contain the environmental impact of an oil spill that recently occurred off the coast of the Galápagos Islands.

On Sunday morning, 600 gallons of oil spilled into Ecuador’s blue waters after a cargo ship overturned in San Cristóbal Island as it was being loaded with containers, officials confirmed on Twitter.

The Galápagos, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site and located hundreds of miles off Ecuador’s coast, are currently home to some of the most exotic wildlife and ecosystems — many of which cannot exist at any other location in the world.

Workers who were on the cargo ship can be seen frantically jumping off and swimming to shore, while other employees on land came running towards the shoreline to help with the aftermath of the disaster.

No one was hurt in the accident, according toCNN.

Shortly after the spill, Ecuador’s Environmental Minister Raul Ledesma Huertaconfirmed in a tweetthat “immediate actions to reduce environmental risk” were being taken.

TheGalápagos Park saidsome of those actions included placing containment barriers and absorbent cloths into the water to restrict the diesel fuel from spreading.

That same day, authorities declared an emergency and said they had ordered an investigation into what caused the crane to lose control and flip the vessel,The New York Timesreports. By Monday, Ecuadorian President Lenín Morenoconfirmedthat the spill was under control.

Galápagos Islands oil spill.Galapagos Conservancy/Twitter

“The illegal and dangerous logistics operation carried out in the property must be moved to another site,”they tweeted. “The fuels and oils spilled in this accident will reach Mann Beach, the only beach within the urban area of ​​Pto.Baquerizo.”

Blue-footed boobies.Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty

The Galápagos Islands are known for their exotic ecosystems and wildlife, including their birds, reptiles, marine wildlife, and mammals — many of which have lived undisrupted for years and havenever developed a fear of humans.

In 1835, Charles Darwin visited the volcanic Pacific Ocean archipelago to do research, which eventually led him to come up with the theory of evolution.

Today, the island’s fragile ecosystem is continuously at risk due to the increase in tourism and climate change. The Galápagos Islands attract more than 220,000 visitors each year, according toCBS News.

source: people.com