Jessica - Chronicle of a near catastrophe

Human errors cause the shipwreck of the oil-tanker "Jessica".

On Tuesday the 16th of January 2001 the oil-tanker "Jessica" laden with 900 000 litres of oil ran aground near the coast of Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands. All attempts to refloat the ship failed: it lay trapped in the underwater reefs and only a thin steel bulkhead protected the clear waters of the world’s second biggest sea reserve from the heavy and diesel oil in the ship’s hull. Two days later wind and waves opened the first gaps in the tanker and the first oil slick was seen on the surface.
The "Jessica" was on her way to Baltra, an island in the Galapagos archipelago, when she ran aground about 800 metres from the coast of San Cristobal. Oil barriers were immediately placed around the ship and a start was made to pumping out the oil. Despite these measures a large quantity of oil escaped into the coastal waters and the sea currents and wind drove the oil slick in a north-westerly direction towards the centre of the archipelago.

The battle against the menacing Oil Catastrophe

Ecuador asked the USA to send specialists to help fight the imminent oil catastrophe. On Sunday afternoon, the 21st of January, members of the US coastal guard with special equipment arrived in Galapagos and could begin with pumping the remaining oil out of the tanker. Their task was complicated by the fact that, due to the fragile ecosystem of the archipelago, none of the usual chemicals could be used for binding the oil which had already escaped.

The National Park authorities and the employees of the Charles Darwin Research station supported by many volunteers began immediately to build temporary centres to which the oil-contaminated Galapagos sea lions and sea birds could be taken and cleaned. Many helpers including local fishermen, people from the tourist industry and other volunteers, cleaned the affected coastline and tried by means of barriers to stop the oil from penetrating into the bays.

First indications – Galapagos "fortunate" in their misfortune

Around 800 000 litres of diesel and heavy oil escaped. Thanks to favourable weather conditions the accident was less of a catastrophe than feared. Wind and currents drove some of the oil out to open sea and the strong sunlight evaporated most of the diesel oil on the surface. Threatened species such as the lava gulls or the Galapagos penguins were scarcely affected. Nevertheless the long-term effects on the flora and fauna of the islands is still uncertain.
Five of the 13 larger Galapagos islands have oil-polluted coastal zones. As well as San Cristobal, Santa Fe and Santa Cruz, the islands of Floreana and Isabela although 100 Km from the scene of the accident are also affected. Initially it was mainly sea-birds such as pelicans and blue-footed boobies that were found coated with oil but later it was seen that the marine iguanas were also affected. Shortly after the accident 40% of the iguanas were contaminated with oil but a week later this rose to 70%. Along with the Galapagos giant tortoises the iguanas are the symbol of the archipelago. These animals feed exclusively on sea algae and polluted sea-water could have fatal consequences for them.

Five of the 13 larger Galapagos islands have oil-polluted coastal zones. As well as San Cristobal, Santa Fe and Santa Cruz, the islands of Floreana and Isabela although 100 Km from the scene of the accident are also affected. Initially it was mainly sea-birds such as pelicans and blue-footed boobies that were found coated with oil but later it was seen that the marine iguanas were also affected. Shortly after the accident 40% of the iguanas were contaminated with oil but a week later this rose to 70%. Along with the Galapagos giant tortoises the iguanas are the symbol of the archipelago. These animals feed exclusively on sea algae and polluted sea-water could have fatal consequences for them.

Are there long-term effects?

Fish and invertebrates such as sea-urchins and starfish were also affected by the shipwreck. The disappearance of these organisms which are an important part of the food-chain for sea-birds, sea lions, seals and other Galapagos inhabitants, could have serious consequences for their survival. Employees of the Charles Darwin Research Centre and of the National Park are keeping check of the damage and are ready to take the necessary corrective measures. According to Dr. Robert Bensted-Smith, Director of the Research Station, the work will continue over the next two to three years and will cost about 2,3 Million US Dollars.

Outlook

The Galapagos Archipel has had a very narrow escape with this incident. Now one has to learn the lessons. The islands lie near to the main sea routes between the west coasts of Middle and South America. Preventive measures must be taken in order to avoid another tanker accident. These include keeping supplies of emergency material on the islands, as well as having a strict control of shipping in and around the reserve. In this respect it is important that the regulations in the Proclamation of the Galapagos Sea Reserve (1998) are not merely paper resolutions but are really applied.

The Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station are dedicated to this task in Galapagos. The International Charles Darwin Foundation, to which the Friends of the Galapagos Islands (Switzerland) belongs, is dedicated to this task worldwide.

 

ANNEX 1.1 Quantities of oil-affected animals (17 January - 17 February 2001)

 

Notice

These data are incomplete and must be interpreted with caution. A detailed analysis will follow. Zero or missing values in the table do not mean that those animals were not contaminated by the oil but only that no contaminated animals were seen.