Antarctic Spill Threatens Penguins

The MS Explorer slipped beneath the waves on November 23, about 20 hours after striking an iceberg near Antarctica's South Shetland Islands.

Leaking diesel from a Canadian cruise ship that sank after striking an iceberg on Nov. 23 threatens about 2,500 penguins en route to their Antarctic mating grounds, according to a Chilean marine biologist.

Maria Jose Rosello says areas surrounding the mile-long spill site include breeding grounds for Antarctic and Adelia penguins, and the largest mating colony for Papua penguins.

“The danger is that this fuel spill will impede the journey that species like Papua penguins make at this time of year,” Rosello told reporters.

She said the area is also home to seals, petrels and other sea birds.

Chile's navy said that bad weather has kept clean-up experts from containing the spill, which is for now penned in by large blocks of floating ice in the Bransfield Strait, about 50 miles (80 km) east of King George Island.

A team of Chilean experts who toured the spill site reported seeing no contaminated birds, but noted they hadn't been able to assess damage the diesel might have done to fish, krill, algae and plankton colonies, a key part of the Antarctic food chain.

Photo: Chilean Navy Digg This