On the 4th of July 2002, diesel was spilled while it was being unloaded from the cargo boat Taurus. This diesel was being carried in a 2000 gallon tank destined for the thermoelectric plant of ELECGalápagos. When the incident occurred, the CDF representation in Isabela began a biological impact evaluation of the spill.

Some of the local fishermen, Galápagos National Park and CDF personnel placed a net barrier containing absorbent paper to prevent the diesel from spreading. A survey of the beach was carried out, and no dead animals nor evidence of fuel were found on the water, sand, rocks or mangroves, despite the fact that the scent of fuel was present.

By the middle of July, a few dead fish, sea anemones, chitons and crabs were found along the town's beaches. After the 17th July, the CDF's Department of Marine Research and Conservation took sediment samples at various depths in the beaches of Villamil to analyze their hydrocarbon content. This will help them to define the diesel's impact and to create a data baseline, which will, in turn, provide the basic elements needed to monitor the zone's normal status and find out what were the impacts caused by the spill.

Further information about the consequences of the Jessica spill in 2001 can be found in a final report of the Charles Darwin Foundation available on the web at: http://www.darwinfoundation.org/jessicareport.html

To discover more about the wildlife of the Galápagos Islands, why not purchase WILDGuides amazing field guide to these unique islands. For every book sold, a donation is made to the Darwin Research Institute. To learn more, see World Wildlife