Fishing Boat leaving Valdez Harbour
A fishing boats leaves Valdez harbour, and in the background is the oil terminal that became operational in 1976. The terminal has boosted the economy of the town, but The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in 1989 left behind a trail of dead bodies of thousands of birds and animals. It remains one of the worst environmental disasters ever caused by man, and the effects are still seen today.
The oil tanker Exxon Valdez carrying 200 million liters of crude oil left one of the Valdez oil terminals in Alaska on 23rd March, 1989 for Long Beach, California. The pilot maneuvered the ship through the Valdez Narrows and then returned the controls to the ship’s captain. He took the ship out of the shipping lane to avoid icebergs and then after passing the danger he handed over control of the wheelhouse to the 3rd Mate with precise instructions to turn back into the shipping lanes when the tanker reached a certain point. At that time, the 3rd Mate handed the helm over to an able seaman. The ship was then put into autopilot. For reasons that remain unclear, the Mate and the seaman failed to make the turn back into the shipping lane.
It was suggested that the captain may have been all the worse for wear due to alcohol [he had been seen in a local bar] but he was later acquitted of being intoxicated while at the helm. But the 3rd mate had not been given the mandatory 6 hours rest before starting his next 12 hour duty. To make matters worse it was found that the radar had not been working since the time ship left the Valdez Terminal.
It seems there may have been a delay in changing course due to the 3rd mate not quickly appreciating the dangerous situation the ship found itself in, and forgetting that autopilot was operating, which, it has been suggested, may have been due to stress and excessive workload. Whatever the reason, the ship struck the rocks of Bligh Reef just after midnight on 24th March, 1989.
The “grounding" of the ship ruptured the ship’s hull, which quickly lead to around 40 million liters of crude oil being split into the sea. As a result, approximately 1,990 square kilometers of shoreline was badly polluted. Almost 2000 sea otters, 302 harbor seals, and 250,000 birds died in the days that followed the incident. Millions of fish also died, killed by eating oil contaminated food, or starved to death because of the spoiling of plankton and larva on which they were dependent. The thick oil layer at the top destroyed this phytoplankton and thus the main food source for the fishes. Moreover, millions of young fishes that hatched into the sea were all killed because of the polluted environment.
At that time there was no solid plan by either the state or the federal government to deal with such an emergency situation, consequently the oil spill reached far-off places before any kind of response process was started. It didn’t help that a storm blew in soon after, spreading the oil widely. Eventually, more than 1,000 miles of coastline were affected. The life style of the people of the region completely changed. The fishing industry came to a sudden standstill. Some of the species such as harbor seals, pink salmon, mussels, harlequin ducks, and sea otters were suddenly invisible. In total, more than 20 types of birds and animals were affected by the oil spill, whose effect is still observed today in many of them. Although the oil has mostly disappeared from view, many Alaskan beaches remain polluted to this day, crude oil being buried just inches below the surface.
Fishing Boat leaving Valdez Harbour
A fishing boats leaves Valdez harbour, and in the background is the oil terminal that became operational in 1976. The terminal has boosted the economy of the town, but The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in 1989 left behind a trail of dead bodies of thousands of birds and animals. It remains one of the worst environmental disasters ever caused by man, and the effects are still seen today.
The oil tanker Exxon Valdez carrying 200 million liters of crude oil left one of the Valdez oil terminals in Alaska on 23rd March, 1989 for Long Beach, California. The pilot maneuvered the ship through the Valdez Narrows and then returned the controls to the ship’s captain. He took the ship out of the shipping lane to avoid icebergs and then after passing the danger he handed over control of the wheelhouse to the 3rd Mate with precise instructions to turn back into the shipping lanes when the tanker reached a certain point. At that time, the 3rd Mate handed the helm over to an able seaman. The ship was then put into autopilot. For reasons that remain unclear, the Mate and the seaman failed to make the turn back into the shipping lane.
It was suggested that the captain may have been all the worse for wear due to alcohol [he had been seen in a local bar] but he was later acquitted of being intoxicated while at the helm. But the 3rd mate had not been given the mandatory 6 hours rest before starting his next 12 hour duty. To make matters worse it was found that the radar had not been working since the time ship left the Valdez Terminal.
It seems there may have been a delay in changing course due to the 3rd mate not quickly appreciating the dangerous situation the ship found itself in, and forgetting that autopilot was operating, which, it has been suggested, may have been due to stress and excessive workload. Whatever the reason, the ship struck the rocks of Bligh Reef just after midnight on 24th March, 1989.
The “grounding" of the ship ruptured the ship’s hull, which quickly lead to around 40 million liters of crude oil being split into the sea. As a result, approximately 1,990 square kilometers of shoreline was badly polluted. Almost 2000 sea otters, 302 harbor seals, and 250,000 birds died in the days that followed the incident. Millions of fish also died, killed by eating oil contaminated food, or starved to death because of the spoiling of plankton and larva on which they were dependent. The thick oil layer at the top destroyed this phytoplankton and thus the main food source for the fishes. Moreover, millions of young fishes that hatched into the sea were all killed because of the polluted environment.
At that time there was no solid plan by either the state or the federal government to deal with such an emergency situation, consequently the oil spill reached far-off places before any kind of response process was started. It didn’t help that a storm blew in soon after, spreading the oil widely. Eventually, more than 1,000 miles of coastline were affected. The life style of the people of the region completely changed. The fishing industry came to a sudden standstill. Some of the species such as harbor seals, pink salmon, mussels, harlequin ducks, and sea otters were suddenly invisible. In total, more than 20 types of birds and animals were affected by the oil spill, whose effect is still observed today in many of them. Although the oil has mostly disappeared from view, many Alaskan beaches remain polluted to this day, crude oil being buried just inches below the surface.