A Near Disaster for Our Furry Friends

One large oil spill could wipe out the entire population of southern sea otters. Looking back at disasters like the Exxon Valdez in 1989 and Deepwater Horizon in 2010, we have seen the devastating effects that oil spills have on our wildlife, especially sea otters. That is why a recent near-miss disaster was so concerning for The Otter Project.

Shortly after departing from Oakland, while enroute to Seattle, a Singapore-flagged ship named the Wan Hai 176 lost power 12 miles off the coast. With 21 crew members, 39,000 gallons of fuel on board and winds of ~46 mph, the vessel drifted extremely close to the coast of Point Reyes. 

Point Reyes is a very important sanctuary for marine life, considered both a state marine reserve and state marine conservation area in order to protect its diverse ecosystem. While southern sea otters are not generally found this far up the coast, their territory is only miles away and oil spills can have expansive effects. An oil spill near Point Reyes would also have a disastrous effect on expanding the sea otters’ population northward.

While only 7 miles from shore, crew members of the Wan Hai finally managed to drop not one but two anchors, enough to hold it in place and keep it from drifting further until assistance was able to make it through the rough weather. The Coast Guard was eventually able to respond by sending tug boats and managed to get the vessel and crew to safety in the San Francisco Bay. 

Past accidents demonstrate the prevailing threat to the California coast and its invaluable resources. For example, it is estimated that several thousand sea otters died in the Exxon Valdez oil spill, a number at least equaling and probably exceeding the present size of the California sea otter population. The Otter Project is working to minimize the risk of an oil spill occurring by advocating for the management of vessel traffic in established vessel lanes. So far, the lanes, which have been recognized by the International Maritime Organization, are voluntary, and anecdotal evidence suggests that they are not being followed. While the Wan Hai 176 power loss was only a near disaster, many maritime incidents become tragedies when there is a lack in responsiveness and vessel traffic lane regulations are not abided by. These issues are extremely important in our fight to preserve the iconic southern sea otter.

To take action and join our fight, visit our link: https://theotterproject.org/take-action.