A visible burst of oil covering nearly 2 miles west of Sunset Point on San Juan Island, Wash., is visible Saturday afternoon after a 49 fishing boat sank feet off shore.
Courtesy of the US Coast Guard
Thousands of gallons of diesel and oil sank with a 49-foot commercial fishing boat off the San Juan Islands Saturday afternoon.
There was a visible burst of oil covering nearly 2 miles west of Sunset Point at 5 p.m., according to a U.S. Coast Guard statement. The five crew members of the ship, called Aleutian Isle, were rescued by a passerby.
The agency says about 2,600 gallons of fuel sank with the ship. Its Pacific Northwest office on Twitter said it was monitoring the area for orcas, particularly southern resident killer whales, which frequent the area.
“Although there are no whales currently in the area, our agencies stand ready to deploy authorized deterrents,” its message read.
#UPDATE (1/2) #USCG coordinates with Sound Watch and @NOAA to monitor the location of Southern Resident Killer Whales near the San Juan Islands. Although there are no whales currently in the area, our agencies are prepared to deploy authorized deterrents.
— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) August 14, 2022
