A boat carrying diesel barrels has sunk near one of Ecuador’s ecologically sensitive Galapagos Islands, officials said.
The spilled fuel left a “superficial” goo, but damage was minor and no one was injured, according to the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment and state oil company Petroecuador.
Saturday’s sinking was first reported by Petroecuador, which did not say how much fuel was spilled.
The Galapagos National Park confirmed the sinking of its vessel called the Albatroz, which park officials said was used for diving trips in the islands’ waters and was carrying 47 barrels of fuel.
Containment barriers have been set up in the area to try to control the spill, the company said. The national park ceased tourist activities around the city of Puerto Ayora, where its headquarters are located.
All four crew members on the ship are safe, Petroecuador said.
A boat carrying 47 barrels of diesel fuel sank near an environmentally sensitive Galapagos island. AFP via Getty Images
An aerial view of rangers placing absorbent material where a boat sank April 23, 2022 near Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. GALAPAGOS NACIONAL PARK/AFP vi
Located about 600 miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands are famous for their giant tortoises. They are a nature reserve and home to unique species of flora and fauna.
The archipelago became famous through Charles Darwin’s observations on local evolution. The Galapagos Marine Protected Area, where industrial fishing is banned, is the second largest in the world.
More than 2,900 marine species have been reported within the World Heritage-listed archipelago.
Petroecuador, Ecuador’s state oil company, reported the oil spill and said no one was injured and damage was minor. AFP via Getty Images
Coast Guards check the site where a boat sank April 23, 2022 near Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands. AFP via Getty Images
In 2019, a barge carrying a small amount of diesel sank off another Galapagos island, San Cristobal, causing a small spill, but the damage was insignificant.
Also in 2001, an Ecuadorian-flagged ship with 240,000 gallons of fuel sank off San Cristobal. This spill caused environmental damage that harmed several marine species.
With mail wires