Oil spill threatens marine life off Cape Town

CAPE TOWN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Oil spill from a broken Turkishi ship is threatening marine life and nearby beaches, authorities warned on Sunday.

The Disaster Risk Management (DIM) in Cape Town has issued a warning against the danger posed by the spill to marine life, particularly endangered African penguins and other sea birds.

The spill also prompted the South African Maritime Authority to prohibite any bathing and other recreational activities on several beaches affected by the spill, including the Dolphin Beach and the Bloubergstrand beach, one of the peninsula's most popular beaches.

The spill was released overnight Friday after bad weather broke the wreck of the Turkish ship Seli 1 into three sections. The bulk carrier, which was carrying approximately 600 tons of fuel and 30, 000 tons of coal, ran aground in September, 2009 off the Cape Town coast while on her way to Gibraltar .

DIM spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said strong winds and big swells apparently moved the vessel, resulting in the oil spill.

"Black oil fingers" were spreading in a 500m radius towards Dolphin Beach and footage also showed black oil was visible at the high-water mark at the beach, for an 800m long stretch, he said.

The Department of Environment Affairs has dispatched oil spill aerial surveillance aircraft over the wreckage to evaluate the extent of the spill.

The department said the worst of the spillage was over, but clean-up operations will continue for two to three days. Enditem

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