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Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

Update on the Jessica II fuel spill: 30 Jan 2001

PRESS RELEASE 11

Today work with the wrecked tanker continued on San Cristobal. The team of national and international technicians is trying to decide what to do with the ship.

The Galapagos National Park patrol launch Sirenian remains in Floreana where recovery of bunker fuel continues. Today, Tuesday 30, two more marine iguanas were found covered in oil. They received adequate treatment and were then set free. Another Audubon shearwater (marine bird) died. A veterinarian from the Galapagos National Park and two specialists joined the Floreana based work team to monitor the animals and design a plan of action in case more species need rehabilitation.

Monitoring of the respective coasts has already started. Rented fishing boats are running the length of the coast, centimeter by centimeter, to determine how successful was the clean up of the bunker spill. The inspection will include peripheral islands to the east of Floreana.

Currently, the patrol launch Guadalupe River is checking the southeastern side of Isabela, between Ballena Hill and Cuatro Hermanos. A small plane during an over flight reported a fuel slick in this area. Monitoring also continues from Puerto Villamil (Isabela Island) towards the southeast, covering the area from Tercera, Cuarta and Quinta Beaches until San Pedro. In this important area of the archipelago the wildlife remains unaffected.

We are now waiting, and will continue regular overflights, preparing materials to continue the tasks at hand and responding effectively, as we have been doing, to any situation that may arise.

Director
Galapagos National Park