Status: 04/25/2022 04:53 a.m
The sinking of a ship with around 7,500 liters of diesel fuel on board off the Galapagos Islands has apparently not caused any major damage to the ecosystem. According to the authorities, the containment measures were successful.
The sinking of a boat with thousands of liters of fuel off the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific apparently has no serious consequences for the unique ecosystem. Containment measures “have resulted in the incident not causing significant damage to the archipelago’s island and marine ecosystems,” the Galapagos National Park said.
According to the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment, a tourist ship with around 7,500 liters of diesel fuel on board sank off the island of Santa Cruz on Saturday morning. According to the ship operator, a burst pipe was the cause of the sinking of the ship. While no one was injured, a “fuel carpet” spread in the water around the accident site. The authorities and volunteers then tried to capture the released fuel.
Sea area with unique flora and fauna
The Galápagos Islands belong to Ecuador and are located around 1000 kilometers west of the South American coast in the Pacific. The archipelago has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978 because of its special flora and fauna. It is home to 198,000 square kilometers of protected marine area with unique flora and fauna. Species found only there include marine iguanas, land iguanas and Galápagos finches. In 1835 Charles Darwin visited the islands. His theory of the origin of species received a lot of food for thought there.