On the evening of Saturday July 25, the MV (Merchant Vessel) Wakashio
grounded on coral reefs in the south-east of the Indian Ocean tropical
island of Mauritius. The ship, a Japanese-owned but Panama-registered
bulk carrier designed to transport unpackaged goods such as coal or
grain, was empty of cargo but had an estimated 200 tons of diesel and
3,800 tons of heavy fuel oil onboard. The ship sat for over a week
before cracks emerged in its hull.
grounded on coral reefs in the south-east of the Indian Ocean tropical
island of Mauritius. The ship, a Japanese-owned but Panama-registered
bulk carrier designed to transport unpackaged goods such as coal or
grain, was empty of cargo but had an estimated 200 tons of diesel and
3,800 tons of heavy fuel oil onboard. The ship sat for over a week
before cracks emerged in its hull.
Fuel oil began to leak into the expansive turquoise blue lagoon outside the coastal village of Mahébourg. Striking satellite images
show the resulting oil spill weaving a black slick between the mainland
at Pointe D’Esny and the flat round island of Ile-aux-Aigrettes. The
impacts seen closer up are gruesome. On August 7, nearly two weeks after the shipwreck, the government declared the incident a national emergency.