Mystery Spill Off Hawaii Raises Concern About Whales, Turtles

Endangered sea turtles and humpback whales have been sighted off Hawaii beaches soiled by at least 10,000 gallons of oil from a mystery spill, and officials were concerned about the long-term effects of oil on the animals.

Crews on Saturday continued to clean bunker fuel oil from more than 20 miles of beach on the islands of Lanai and Molokai, two of the less-developed islands in the main Hawaiian chain.

John Naughton, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, said he saw whales surfacing through an oil slick and witnessed green sea turtles feeding just off a tarred beach. Humpback whales and green sea turtles are both listed as endangered species.

Naughton was particularly concerned about the sea turtles, which feed on algae that may have been tainted by toxic substances in the oil.

Oil was first spotted between Molokai and Lanai last Sunday. Authorities said at the time the spill appeared minor and most of the oil would likely drift out to sea.

However, the oil sullied a nine-mile stretch of Molokai’s south coast and about 10 miles of Lanai’s shore in the form of tar balls and small puddles.

The source of the spill has not been determined.

Officials on Friday upgraded the spill from “minor” to “medium,” although the precise amount of oil spilled had not been determined.

“A medium spill means that at least 10,000 gallons but less than 100,000 gallons has spilled. We can’t be certain because we don’t know the size of the tank that it came from, and that’s the best way to tell,” Coast Guard spokesman Keith Spangler said.

Bunker fuel oil is less toxic than crude oil, which comes straight from the ground and has more petroleum and other gases, Spangler said.