On January 15, while the oil tanker Mare Doricum was unloading crude oil at the La Pampilla Refinery north of Lima, Peru, the ship spilled about 6,000 barrels of oil into the sea. Initial reports blamed the incident on “abnormal waves” caused by the volcanic eruption in Tonga, but investigations are ongoing, and the government is “looking at sanctioning” the refinery. An environmental emergency has been declared, several beaches have been closed, and hundreds of cleanup workers were brought in by the Spanish energy firm Repsol. Cleanup crews and volunteers were working over the weekend to help affected wildlife, including seals, birds, fish, and crustaceans.
Photos: An Oil Spill Causes an Environmental Emergency in Peru
- Alan Taylor
- January 24, 2022
- 20 Photos
- In Focus
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A Repsol employee walks on rocks affected by the oil spill during cleanup on Cavero beach in Ventanilla, Peru, on January 20, 2022. #
Marcos Reategui / Getty -
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Oil pollutes Cavero beach on January 18. #
Martin Mejia / AP -
Cleaning crews work to remove oil from a beach in the Peruvian province of Callao on January 19. #
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An aerial view of a contaminated cove in Ventanilla, where Repsol employees work on oil cleanup on January 20 #
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A bird is pictured on a polluted beach during cleanup efforts in Ventanilla on January 18. #
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Biologists from the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State work on a bird affected by the oil spill, in Ancon, Peru, on January 21. #
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Cleanup crews at work on Cavero beach, seen on January 20 #
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Workers clean up spilled oil, near Ventanilla, on January 18. #
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Boats work to gather oil on the ocean's surface near Ancon on January 20. #
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Birds fly as workers clean oil from Cavero beach on January 21. #
Martin Mejia / AP -
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Cleaning teams work to remove oil from the shoreline in the province of Callao on January 20. #
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Workers remove oil from Cavero beach on January 21. #
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Cleaning teams rescue a sea bird during oil-removal work on January 20. #
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A Repsol employee holds a rescued "piquero," or Peruvian booby, that was affected by the oil spill on Cavero beach, on January 20. #
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Spilled oil covers the shore at Cavero beach on January 17. #
Martin Mejia / AP -
Cleaning teams work to remove oil in the province of Callao on January 20. #
Klebher Vasquez / Anadolu Agency / Getty -
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Cleaning crews work to remove oil from a beach in Ancon on January 20. #
Cris Bouroncle / AFP / Getty -
Floating barriers are set up to protect beaches from drifting oil near Ancon, on January 21. #
Cris Bouroncle / AFP / Getty -
Cleanup work takes place on a beach in Ventanilla on January 18. #
Pilar Olivares / Reuters -
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A worker carries oil-fouled material across a polluted beach in Ventanilla on January 18. #
Pilar Olivares / Reuters
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