Westerly currents have pushed the spill away from the port, thinning it out in patches over some 780 square miles. But those same winds had floated the oily film to other islands, namely Santa Fe, about 25 miles away, officials said. But the impact had been less severe than expected, said the Darwin Center, as the sun had helped evaporate much of the spilled diesel fuel. The Jessica, a transport vessel owned by the Guayaquil-based company Acotramar, was carrying the fuel for a private tour boat operator and Petrocomercial, an arm of the state oil company, last Tuesday when it ran aground in the archipelago. Ecuador's Second Navy Zone is conducting an investigation of the accident, which is due to be completed in 10 days.
Theories range from the age and condition of the boat to navigational error.
The European Commission called on Tuesday for tougher international laws on maritime safety following the spill. This site is using the Aqua 1.2 theme.