Oil spills are great threat to animals

Many of you know that oil spills are extremely dangerous for wildlife. The most devastating oil spill still remains Exxon Valdez oil spill with huge number of animals dying because of it. Exxon Valdez oil spill is responsible for deaths of thousands of animals,the best estimates include number of 250,000 to as many as 500,000 seabirds, at least 1,000 sea otters, approximately 12 river otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, and 22 orcas, as well as the destruction of billions of salmon and herring eggs.

The latest oil spill could also cause big problems for animals living in Australian waters. Accident on a rig in the Timor Sea has caused oil spill and oil is flowing from the West Atlas platform to Australian waters for three weeks with up to 400 barrels of oil per day making their way into the Timor Sea to Australia's north. Oils slick is about 170km (100 miles) from the Australian coast posing a great threat as it continues its way towards Australia's north.

Oil is already affecting areas inhabited by dolphins and whales, and some fishermen have reported seeing endangered flatback turtles covered in oil, and many fish have been poisoned. Things are really not far away from real ecological disaster because according to latest reports at least two more weeks are needed to break the spill with chemicals. Of course many of these chemicals are also environmentally unfriendly.