[imagesource: South African Maritime Safety Authority]

South African crew members have been racing to contain an oil spill from a cargo vessel that ran aground earlier this month because of extreme weather conditions.

Strong waves eroded the hull of the 125-metre MV Ultra Galaxy, which beached at Brand se Baai northwest of Cape Town on July 9, Bloomberg reported. Fortunately, the ship’s crew immediately abandoned the vessel when it started taking on water after hitting the sandbank and breaking apart in the severe weather.

The spill took place over the weekend when the ship broke into four sections, with waves almost 7m high crashing into the wreck every 15 seconds at one stage, TimesLIVE noted.

Tebogo Ramatjie, spokesperson for the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa), said that salvage operations are continuing and more equipment is being mobilised to contain the oil spill. A heroic salvage team has successfully extracted several lube oil drums and about eight tons of marine gas oil from the wreck’s fuel tanks. However, Samsa revealed that a staggering 500 tons of fuel still remained on the vessel, awaiting removal. The weather conditions have been delaying the cleanup.

Image: Samsa

Authorities noted that there have not been any signs of affected wildlife yet:

“We haven’t yet received any reports of oiled wildlife and there have not been reported sightings of oiled wildlife at this stage,” Monica Stassen of seabird conservation group Sanccob said.

The spill is yet another potential challenge for our already dwindling African penguin colony. The spill happened along a corridor where the endangered birds traverse when migrating from South Africa to Namibian waters, Stassen said.

Pollution could also threaten the Olifants River estuary further south, one of South Africa’s largest and home to flamingoes, herons and other water birds, she added.

Ramatjie assured, however, that an oil spill contingency plan was immediately launched and about 125 people from local communities are helping with mopping up operations.

US-based Resolve Marine, initially appointed to handle the salvage operation, has been replaced by Smit International, he said.

[sources:bloomberg&timeslive]