San Juan Island

Sunken fish boat off B.C. shifts into deeper water, leaks fuel in key orca habitat

Sunken fish boat off B.C. shifts into deeper water, leaks fuel in key orca habitat

Crews are working to drain fuel from a sunken fish boat in U.S. waters just east of Vancouver Island before it fouls a key feeding ground for endangered southern resident killer whales. An update from the U.S. Coast Guard says the 15-metre Aleutian Isle has shifted since it went down Saturday off Washington state, near San Juan Island, roughly 25 kilometres east of Victoria.

Oil spill off San Juan Island 'pretty well impossible to clean up,' expert says Social Sharing

Oil spill off San Juan Island 'pretty well impossible to clean up,' expert says Social Sharing

Crews are assessing the waters off San Juan Island in the Salish Sea near Vancouver Island after a fishing boat sank and leaked fuel on Saturday. The Aleutian Isle had nearly 9,840 litres of oil and diesel on board when it went down off the west coast of San Juan Island in Washington state. Gerald Graham, a Victoria-based consultant who specializes in marine oil spill response and prevention, said the diesel fuel flowing from the boat is very light, which means crews can't use booms or skimmers to clean it up.