Recovery efforts continued Wednesday (Jan. 24) following a major oil spill off the coast of Ecuador that has affected the famous, fragile ecology of the Galápagos Islands. A total of about 190,000 gallons of diesel fuel have poured out of the Ecuadorian tanker Jessica since it ran aground last Tuesday (Jan. 16). After the accident, workers were able to remove much of the remaining oil from the ship's cargo hold before it spilled out. But pounding waves caused new breaks in hull of the tanker, and the rest of the fuel flowed into the ocean early this week.
The outer edge of the oil spill did reach land on several of the islands. But officials said Wednesday that shifting winds and ocean currents are now pushing the 488-square-mile slick away from Galápagos and out to sea.
Recovery teams have been trying to capture and clean animals that had contact with the diesel fuel. So far, sea lions, booby birds and pelicans have been seen on Santa Fe Island with oil-stained fur or feathers. Santa Fe and San Cristóbal islands were closest and most affected by the accident, according to local reports. And although they do not expect more oil to reach the beaches, there are a number of long-term risks that threaten the area. If fuel sinks to the ocean floor, for example, great amounts of algae - an integral part of the food chain - would be destroyed.
"Marine iguanas, sea lions, all kinds of sea birds" could be hurt, oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau told CNN. "Ultimately, as some of that oil reaches the ocean floor, the algae and lobsters and marine life can be affected to the point where we reach disaster."
The Galápagos Islands, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, became famous when biologist Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection after a visit to the islands in 1835. The book described the wide range of wildlife that flourished in the region, and he used the area's diverse environment to explain his theories of natural selection.
The Galápagos are home to some 5,000 different species - 1,900 of those species do not exist anywhere else in the world. Fortunately, scientists say that most of the animals on the island considered endangered, such as the miniature Galápagos penguin and flightless cormorant, are in little danger. These species live on the far western islands, well away from the spill.
The spill is also a problem for Galápagos' human population. Due in large part to the islands' role as an increasingly popular tourist attraction, the population of the Galápagos is now about 16,000, up from about 1,000 in 1950. Many of the residents fish for a living, and with contaminated waters now off-limits, some are unsure how they will be able to make money in coming weeks and months.
Ecuador declared a state of emergency late Monday. Police on San Cristóbal Island told the media that no charges had been filed against the shipping company, Acotramar, or the captain, Tarquino Arevalo. So far, the incident has been attributed to human error. However, Ecuador President Gustavo Noboa has requested a full report on the cause of the accident.
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