S Africa Press: Devastated iguanas face new disaster

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Posted by Wes von Papine�u on July 09, 2002 at 11:29:02:

INDEPENDENT (Johannesburg, S Africa) 05 July 02 Darwin's devastated iguanas face new disaster
Quito, Ecuador (Sapa-AP): A massive fuel tank fell into waters off the Galapagos Islands on Thursday, creating a slick that threatened to contaminate rare wildlife, a local scientific foundation said.
The container slipped into the ocean as port workers were unloading an oil tanker on Isabela Island, the largest in the renowned archipelago, the Charles Darwin Foundation said in a statement.
All 7 500 litres of fuel spilled into the water and drifted toward nearby beaches inhabited by unique sea lion and iguana species that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Authorities released a dispersing liquid into the coastal waters to dilute the slick. The foundation said the affects of the spill on the island's fragile environment were still unclear.
The Galapagos Islands, about 998 km off Ecuador's Pacific coast, are the country's top tourist attraction.
In January 2001, an oil tanker ran aground off the coast of the archipelago's San Cristobal Island, leaking nearly 910 000 litres of fuel into the surrounding waters.
A study in the June 6 issue of the journal Nature estimated that as many as 15 000 marine iguanas died on the Galapagos' Santa Fe Island in the 11 months after the spill.

In Bahamas, some indulge taste for dwindling iguan

Follow Ups:

some interesting info on Galapagos iggies ~ + a RED ig! ... (links inside) iZ's mom 07/09/02 (2)
- Re: some interesting info on Galapagos iggies ~ + a RED ig! ... (links inside) John-Paul 07/10/02 (0)
- Hideous-looking creature???!!!They are GORGEOUS!!I love that prehistoric Flavia Guimaraes 07/10/02 (0)
Well, that's just terrible n/p F_Hayden 07/09/02 (0)
uh oh... '=( np Tmom 07/09/02 (0)

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: INDEPENDENT (Johannesburg, S Africa) 05 July 02 Darwin's devastated iguanas face new disaster : Quito, Ecuador (Sapa-AP): A massive fuel tank fell into waters off the Galapagos Islands on Thursday, creating a slick that threatened to contaminate rare wildlife, a local scientific foundation said. : The container slipped into the ocean as port workers were unloading an oil tanker on Isabela Island, the largest in the renowned archipelago, the Charles Darwin Foundation said in a statement. : All 7 500 litres of fuel spilled into the water and drifted toward nearby beaches inhabited by unique sea lion and iguana species that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. : Authorities released a dispersing liquid into the coastal waters to dilute the slick. The foundation said the affects of the spill on the island's fragile environment were still unclear. : The Galapagos Islands, about 998 km off Ecuador's Pacific coast, are the country's top tourist attraction. : In January 2001, an oil tanker ran aground off the coast of the archipelago's San Cristobal Island, leaking nearly 910 000 litres of fuel into the surrounding waters. : A study in the June 6 issue of the journal Nature estimated that as many as 15 000 marine iguanas died on the Galapagos' Santa Fe Island in the 11 months after the spill.

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