The MT ''Castillo de Bellver'' oil spill began on 6 August 1983, when the Spanish tanker caught on fire off Saldanha Bay, approximately 70 miles northwest of

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It was carrying 250,000 tonnes (300,000 cubic metres) of light crude oil, and was traveling through an environmentally sensitive area known for its seabird rookeries and important commercial fishing grounds. The burning vessel was abandoned and broke apart after drifting offshore. Three crew were lost. The stern capsized and sunk and the bow was sunk using explosives. A total of 145,000-170,000 tonnes (176,000-210,000 cubic metres) of oil entered the sea. Onshore impacts were considered negligible as the slick traveled seaward. The only visible impact was the oiling of 1,500 gannets that were on a nearby island.

Ship

The ''Castillo de Bellver'' was built in 1978 to carry light crude oil.

Incident

On 6 August 1983, the Spanish oil tanker ''Castillo de Bellver'' was en route from the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

to Spain transporting 250,000 tonnes (300,000 cubic metres) of light crude oil. Around off

Table Bay Table Bay (Afrikaans: ''Tafelbaai'') is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652 by Van Riebeeck) and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named ...

, South Africa, it exploded and proceeded to burn. The crew abandoned the ship, which proceeded to drift off the coast, eventually breaking in two at around 10 a.m. Approximately of light crude was initially spilled into the sea, creating a flaming oil slick. By mid-morning, the ship trailed an oil slick long and wide. A fishing trawler, ''Harvest Carina'', rescued 32 crew members from a lifeboat. A passing container ship rescued another crew member. Three additional persons were declared missing. The stern section of the ship capsized and sank on 7 August in deep waters, off the coast. There were of oil remaining in ''Castillo de Bellver'''s tanks. The bow had drifted towards an area that included the

Langebaan Lagoon Langebaan is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa on the eastern shore of Langebaan Lagoon. Langebaan is situated 120 km north of Cape Town, just off the R27, about 28 km from Vredenburg and 20 km from Saldanha Bay. ...

marine life sanctuary, a -long strip of coast south of Saldanha Port. The bow section was then towed away from the coast and was eventually sunk using explosives. A total of of oil was released into the sea during the incident.

Response

The pollution threat to Cape Province beaches was initially considered "enormous", according to a Cape Town port official. He said that the current could move the oil slick away from the coast but that a northwesterly wind could blow the oil towards the coast. The oil initially drifted towards the coast. The wind then changed direction and took it offshore, where the slick entered the north-west flowing Benguela Current. Weather conditions proved to be conducive to spill response and helped prevent a major onshore environmental disaster. Approximately of diluted chemical dispersant and of dispersant concentrate were sprayed at the edge of the slick, preventing it from coming within of the shore. On August 10, the slick was almost offshore as the bow of the tanker was being towed out to sea. By August 12, over 200 oiled birds had been recovered "with feathers glued with oil" and taken to conservation centers in Cape Town. Many more were expected to be received.

Environmental impact

The accident area is both ecologically and economically sensitive, rich in

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

. It is also home to a large seabird population. Half of South African lobster and fish landings are caught within this zone, which is also an important nursery area for many fish species. The known environmental consequences of the spill were considered small. About 1,500 gannets that were gathered on a nearby island in preparation for breeding season were oiled. Some seals surfaced during dispersant spraying but are not believed to have been harmed. "Black rain" of oil droplets fell immediately to the east of the spill during the first 24 hours on wheat-growing and sheep-grazing fields, but no long-term damage was recorded. The impact on local fish stocks was considered minimal. According to tests conducted on sediment and water samples and plankton trawls, no abnormal presence of hydrocarbons was detected.

Notes

References

{{1983 shipwrecks 1983 in the environment Oil spills in South Africa Environment of South Africa 1983 in South Africa Maritime incidents in South Africa Maritime incidents in 1983