U.S. authorities working to keep orcas away from 'pollution incident' off Vancouver Island
The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies are responding to a sunken vessel leaking fuel in Haro Strait, between Vancouver Island and San Juan Island.
The U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Northwest district tweeted around 6 p.m. Saturday that a roughly 15-metre (49-foot) fishing vessel had sunk west of San Juan Island's Sunset Point.
The vessel had more than 9,800 litres (2,600 gallons) of diesel and oil on board, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which described the situation as a "pollution incident."
"All crew were rescued by (a) Good Samaritan," the agency said.
An aerial image of the area shows a sheen on the water where the vessel sank.
The cause of the sinking wasn't immediately known. The ship, called the Aleutian Isle, reported it was taking on water about 2 p.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard said.
Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound said personnel spotted an oil sheen about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) in length at around 5 p.m. Saturday.
Some of the sheen had entered nearby Canadian waters, Petty Officer Michael Clark said Sunday.
The Coast Guard was working with the Canadian Coast Guard Regional Operations Centre, the San Juan County Office of Emergency Management, Washington State Department of Ecology and the non-profit Islands' Oil Spill Association on Sunday to contain and recover the spill, Clark said.
In an update Saturday evening, the USCG said it is working with Sound Watch and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to monitor the location of southern resident killer whales and keep them away from the spill if necessary.
"While there are not any whales currently in the area, our agencies are prepared to deploy authorized deterrents," the agency said.
Most of those "authorized deterrents" are sound-based, according to the NOAA website.
Among the strategies authorities use to keep whales away from fuel spills are "helicopter hazing," which involves flying at low altitudes to create sound and disturb the surface of the water in an effort to make the whales move away; striking underwater pipes with a hammer to make a loud noise; and using "underwater firecrackers" for a similar purpose.
San Juan Island is about 144 kilometres (90 miles) north of Seattle and 25.6 kilometres (16 miles) east of Victoria, B.C.
"We are working with government and industry partners to ensure an efficient and effective containment and recovery response," U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Brian Dykens said in a statement.
"The local public, the environment and protected marine species are our top priority."
With files from The Associated Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.