By: Staff Writer
February 13, 2024
Investigators and search teams are combing the site where the mystery ship that spilled hundreds of gallons of oil off of the coast of Tobago and are having success finding out where the ship was registered and where it came from.
Sources close to the matter have said that the vessel is Turkish registered, and was engaged in the transportation of lumber. It overturned, with a trail of oil spreading from east to west. It stands to reason that the amount of oil that has leaked from this vessel, is way in excess of the engine propulsion requirements for the journey to its berthing destination.
Sources also believe that the vessel was engaged in something illegal, as there was no crew and no report by crew, of the incident.
A massive clean-up effort has been launched, but officials say they may be forced to declare a national emergency as 15 kilometers of Tobago’s coastline have been affected. A reef has been damaged by the ongoing spill.
Officials are concerned that the oil could contaminate the island’s fish and food supply.
The spill is hitting Tobago at the beginning of the island’s Carnival season, a major tourist attraction.
“Cleaning and restoration can only begin as soon as we have the situation under control. Right now the situation is not under control,” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley told journalists.
Rowley said the mystery vessel might have been involved in “illicit” business too, adding: “We don’t know who it belongs to. We have no idea where it came from, and we also don’t know all that it contains.”
Divers spotted the name “Gulfstream” on the craft’s side and have identified a length of cable, possibly indicating it was in the process of being towed, Rowley said.
The island’s Emergency Management Agency said there were no signs of life on the vessel, which is around 330 feet in length. The agency has posted dozens of images and videos on social media showing the ship and crews scrambling to contain and clean up the oil spill.
Divers have so far been unable to plug the leak.
Hundreds of volunteers have been toiling since Thursday to halt the spread of the oil, and the government has asked for even more to lend a hand. Images and video released by the government showed crews working late into the night Sunday.
The leak has damaged a reef and Atlantic beaches, and residents of the village of Lambeau have been advised to wear masks or temporarily relocate.