A fishing boat carrying 2,600 gallons of fuel sank off the western shore of San Juan Island on Saturday, releasing an oily sheen that spread for 2 miles in critical habitat for the Northwest’s endangered orcas. The crew aboard the F/V Aleutian Isle radioed for help Saturday, saying they were taking on water. They abandoned their sinking ship and clambered into the skiff they normally use to maneuver the boat’s purse-like net to capture salmon. Two other salmon-fishing boats, the F/V Marathon and the F/V Intruder, rescued the five-person crew before the U.S. Coast Guard arrived. The 58-foot F/V Aleutian Isle sank to the seafloor in more than 100 feet of water about 2 p.m. How much of the boat’s fuel spilled is unknown. >click to read< 07:55
‘Incredibly lucky’: endangered orcas dodge diesel spill off San Juan Island
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