U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Response to Vessel Grounding/Oil Spill off Unalaska Island

December 11, 2004: The Unified Command reports that the response vessel Cape Flattery, which in addition to its other purposes has been designated for bird rescue and stabilization, is loading equipment and standing by in Dutch Harbor until the severe weather abates. Plans are currently to have two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and two wildlife rehabilitation experts aboard; the Incident Action Plan to be issued later tonight will provide more information.

There has been only one aerial survey since the incident. Due to bad weather, biologists were not able to fly at the normal low altitude (300') needed for truly accurate counts. Weather has also prevented surveys by skiff and on land. The amount of oil in the water and wildlife potentially impacted remains unknown due to severe weather. Strong northwest winds have reportedly pushed some oil into Makushin Bay, and the following descriptions are about efforts within the smaller, ecologically sensitive bays within Makushin, along with incidental wildlife observations. These observations were reported from from crew who are working in Makushin Bay to Service biologists in Dutch Harbor.

Three freshwater stream mouths in Cannery Bay have been boomed to protect fish habitat. While in Cannery, the crew reported seeing about 1000 waterfowl, three-fourths of which were sea ducks: specifically, longtailed ducks, harlequins, white-winged and black scoters. About 250 puddle ducks were observed: teal, mallards, and red-breasted mergansers. Also seen was one whiskered auklet. Anderson Bay, where many ducks, especially mallards, tend to roost in stormy weather, was also successfully boomed. The M/V Redeemer attempted to get to Portage Bay to boom, but conditions were too rough, with 6-foot surf on the beach. Balls of oil in sheen were observed, and the sheen was about half a mile long. Visibility was poor. The tar balls were ping-pong ball and tennis ball sized, and the oil was heavy enough to interfere with landing craft operations. No observations of Skan Bay were possible due to weather conditions. Biologists will be assessing the situation as soon as possible, including the current distribution and condition of marine mammals and seabirds, and number of carcasses if any.

These updates will be posted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Alaska Region web site. It is important to note that information may change and corrections to older, previously posted materials may be needed. Rather than edit and revise previously posted text, we will prominently note next to the outdated material that a specific piece of information has been superceded and should be replaced by new text.

The following text supercedes and should be substituted for paragraph 5 of the December 10, 2004 update:
Various waterfowl, seaducks and seabirds winter in the sheltered bays and nearshore waters of Unalaska Island, including emperor geese, loons, scoters, goldeneyes, eiders, harlequin duck, scaup, pigeon guillemot, auklets, murrelets, cormorants, and kittiwakes. Resident bald eagles and ravens may scavenge on oiled birds that might wash ashore. Shoreline habitats in Skan Bay and Makushin Bay include salt-brackish water marshes, eelgrass beds, and tidal flats that are important feeding areas for shorebirds and waterfowl during the spring and summer. There are various seabird nesting colonies located on cliff faces and offshore rocks that are occupied during the summer by horned puffin, tufted puffin, common murre, glaucous-winged gull, black oystercatcher, double-crested cormorant, pelagic cormorant, and pigeon guillemot.