The oil slick has widened despite floating barricades, which were set up around the tanker, and is reported to have spread to about 1,200 square kilometres. According to Greenpeace, heavy oil fuel is one of the most difficult oils to deal with when it spills into the environment because it is extremely sticky and toxic. Greenpeace believes that the only way to decrease the chances of spills is to reduce people's dependence on oil and find alternative ways of transport and energy supply. The Jessica is said to be carrying about 900,000 litres of fuel oil and according to officials roughly 76,000 litres have been recovered. The tanker was on its way to service an Ecuadorian naval operation and a private tour operator.
Authorities blame navigational error for the spill.
Fishing boats and the navy are assisting in the clean-up operation. The evacuation of some animals from San Cristobal island has begun. The spill is threatening marine iguanas, colonies of sea lions, birds such as the blue-footed boobies as well as other sea life. Fears are mounting that the direction of sea currents could expand the spill even further towards other areas of the ecologically fragile islands. The islands played a key role for Charles Darwin's natural selection theory when he investigated the ways that different finches evolved on the Galapagos islands.