Image Source: Flickr. By: .M for Matthijs,
There is always a dark cloud hiding somewhere behind every silver lining and unfortunately, this also applies to the recent Great Barrier Reef incident. Although the Chinese vessel was refloated and towed away from the shoal, some oil from the spill still washed up at the well-known North West Island nature sanctuary.
This particular sanctuary is a breeding site for hundreds of thousands of seabirds and turtles. Many feared for the safety, health and well-being of these animals on the island, so environmental experts and clean-up crews were immediately sent by helicopter to the site. One major concern at this time is the green and loggerhead turtle nesting sites. Right now, many baby turtles are hatching and making their first dangerous journey down the beach.
Australian Marine Conservation Society director, Darren Kindleysides, explains how even small amounts of oil can affect wildlife:
“We’re not talking about a supertanker going aground and releasing tons and tons and tons of oil. But we are talking about oil reaching a coral cay, which is globally important for seabird breeding and the nesting of green and loggerhead turtles.” … “Unfortunately, this is a time of year we have turtle hatchlings going down the beach…so that is a real concern.