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Exxon Valdez

In the pre-dawn hours of March 24th 1989, the Exxon-Valdez went aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The supertanker left the established traffic lane to avoid icebergs calved from Columbia Glacier and spilled eleven million gallons of crude oil into one of the most spectacular natural areas on earth. The Sound is an important feeding ground for migrating sea birds and more than thirty thousand were found dead immediately after the spill. Scores of sea otters, and many other species of wildlife—including bald eagles—were also found dead by wildlife crews after the spill. Wildlife and clean-up specialists from around the world gathered to assess the damage and treat individuals in need of help.

The Predatory Bird Research Group’s Glenn Stewart spent 108 days living aboard a research vessel in the Sound and studying the impact of the spill on its bald eagle population. Nest sites were mapped and surveyed and one hundred twenty-nine adult and juvenile eagles were trapped, banded, and examined for crude oil contamination of plumage or other evidence of ill-health. Approximately 85% of the examined birds were released within one hour at the site of capture. A few were air-lifted to the Seward Bird Center for cleaning and re-hydration prior to their release within two days of capture. Two or three birds required longer term care.

There is little evidence of the spill to casual observers in Prince William Sound today, however the herring fishery has never recovered indicating significant damage to the ecosystem.