Authorities are preparing additional equipment to address an oil spill from the Panama-flagged cargo ship “Ultra Galaxy,” which ran aground and began breaking apart in stormy weather off South Africa’s west coast.
The vessel, which drifted onto a sandbank near Doring Bay—about 300 km (186 miles) north of Cape Town—has been battered by rough seas since its crew abandoned ship three weeks ago.
The spill occurred over the weekend when the ship split into four sections amid waves nearly seven meters (23 feet) high. Tebogo Ramatjie from the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported that salvage operations are ongoing, with efforts focused on containing the spill. The team has removed several lube oil drums and about eight tons of marine gas oil from the ship’s tanks. Approximately 500 tons of fuel remain to be extracted.
So far, there have been no reports of affected wildlife, according to Monica Stassen from the seabird conservation group SANCCOB. However, the spill occurred along a migration route for endangered African penguins and could potentially impact the Olifants River estuary further south, home to various water birds.
An oil spill contingency plan has been activated, involving around 125 local volunteers in cleanup efforts. Initially handled by U.S.-based Resolve Marine, the salvage operation has now been taken over by SMIT International.