List of oil spills impacting penguins

Penguins are vulnerable to exposure to oil spills due to their site fidelity, aquatic lifestyle and near-surface foraging habits. Across their range, penguins have been impacted by chronic and acute oil pollution at sea. The following list includes examples of events where impacts to penguins were documented. It is not exhaustive. +YearCountryLocationOriginSpeciesNotesReferences1925AustraliaPort Phillip Bay, VictoriaUnknownLittle"A number" of oiled penguins ashore and some dead.1934 New ZealandKapiti Island, Manawatu beachesUnknownLittle“Many” penguins killed and oiled.1936South AfricaCape TownUnknownAfricanOne bird oiled.1940 New ZealandAucklandUnknownLittleHundreds of penguins oiled and killed.1945AustraliaSydney, New South WalesUnknownLittleSingle penguin captured and treated.1946AustraliaPort Phillip Bay, VictoriaUnknownLittle“Many” penguins killed and oiled.1948South AfricaDyer IslandEsso Wheeling oil spillAfricanOne third of penguin population, “thousands” oiled and killed.1952South AfricaRobben Island, Table BayUnknownAfricanOver 1200 oiled penguins came ashore.1953South AfricaTable BaySliedrecht oil spillAfricanPenguins oiled and killed.1954AustraliaPort Phillip Bay, VictoriaUnknownLittle36 penguins oiled.1954AustraliaPort Phillip Bay, VictoriaUnknownLittle“large numbers” of dead and oiled birds ashore1968South AfricaCape Point, Western CapeEsso Essen oil spillAfricanOver 1700 penguins impacted by oil.1971AustraliaCowes, VictoriaUnknownLittle43 oiled, dying penguins found.1971AustraliaSouth-eastern South AustraliaUnknownLittle"Hundreds" oiled coming ashore.1971South AfricaCape Aghulas & Dyer IslandSS Wafra oil spillAfricanOver 1216 penguins oiled.1972South AfricaDassen IslandUnknownAfrican4000 penguins impacted.1972South AfricaYstervark PointOswego Guardian-Texanita collisionAfrican500 penguins impacted.1973 ChileGuamblin IslandNapier oil spillMagellanicImpacts unknown. Penguins in vicinity.1974 ChileStrait of MagellanVLCC Metula oil spillMagellanic40,000 birds oiled. Mostly cormorants and penguins.1974AustraliaPort Campbell, VictoriaUnknownLittle"Numbers" of penguins oiled.1974South AfricaStruisbaii, Western CapeOriental Pioneer (tanker)AfricanSeveral thousand penguins oiled.1978 ChileSan Vincente BayCabo Tamar oil spillHumboldt, MagellanicImpacts unknown, penguins in area.1979South AfricaSt. Croix Island, Algoa BayUnknownAfricanPenguins collected to prevent harm.1981 ArgentinaBahia BustamanteUnknownMagellanicDead penguins found, but ecological impact not studied.1982 ArgentinaPunta TomboUnknownMagellanic500 oiled penguins found.1985South AfricaCape RecifeKapodistrias oil spillOver 1180 penguins impacted, 137 killed.1987AustraliaMacquarie IslandNella Dan supply ship wreckRoyal, King, Southern rockhopper, Gentoo70 tonnes of light fuel oil lost, ecological damage unknown.1987 ChilePunta Davis, Strait of MagellanCabo Pilar oil spill4900 tonnes crude spilled, penguin impacts unknown.1988AustraliaPortland, Victoria?Little40% of a small colony oiled and killed (100 birds).1989 ArgentinaBismarck Strait, AntarcticaBahia Paraiso oil spillSeveral, including Adelie20,000-30,000 penguins swam through slick, toll unclear owing to 3 year migration pattern, 300 Adelie penguins known to have been killed.1990AustraliaApollo Bay, Cape OtwayTanker Arthur PhillipLittle130 collected alive, only 65 survived. Over 200 dead, estimates up to 700 dead.1991 ArgentinaChubut ProvinceUnknownMagellanicAn estimated 17,000 penguins killed.1991 ChilePunta TomboUnknownMagellanicEstimated 16,000-17,000 dead penguins found. More expected to have died at sea.1994South AfricaDassen IslandApollo SeaAfrican10,000 penguins collected and cleaned, half of which survived.1995AustraliaLow Head, TasmaniaIron BaronLittleAn estimated 25,000 penguins died from spill impacts.1995AustraliaBass StraitUnknownLittle13 oiled penguins.1995South Africaoff Danger Point LighthouseUnknownAfrican1332 penguins.1998South AfricaCape TownHarbor pipeline burstAfrican563 penguins.1998United KingdomFalkland IslandsOil exploration spillsMagellanicKilled several hundred penguins.1999AustraliaGore Bay, Sydney, New South WalesShell tankerLittleSeveral birds oiled, five were captured, cleaned and released.2000AustraliaBetween Summerland Bay and The Nobbies, Phillip Island, VictoriaUnknownLittle9 killed, 164 more oiled and treated.2000 ChileCifuncho, AntofagastaLa Moure County (US Navy vessel)Humboldt80-120,000 gallons of diesel lost. Penguin impacts unknown.2000South AfricaRobben Island & Dassen IslandMV Treasure oil spillAfrican19000 oiled and an additional 19500 removed. Less than 2000 died. 91% rehabilitation success.2001 ChileMoraleda ChannelJose FuchsMagellanic150 tonnes crude oil spilled.2001AustraliaVictoriaLittle438 penguins treated with a 96% survival rate.2004 ChilePrimera Angostura, Magellan StraitTanker Berge Nice collision with tugboat160 tonnes of oil spilled. Unknown number of penguins impacted.2005 ChileAntofagastaEider cargo ship groundedHumboldtPenguins impacted.2006 ArgentinaNear Cabo Virgenes, south PatagoniaUnknownMagellanic100 oiled penguins found. An estimated 400 were oiled.2007 ArgentinaCaleta Cordova, ChubutOil terminal spillMagellanicOver 1500 penguins impacted.2009AustraliaKingston / Robe, South AustraliaUnknownLittle7 penguins oiled and treated.2008UruguayMontevideoTanker Syros oil spillMagellanicAt least 72 penguins oiled and killed2011 New ZealandTaurangaRena oil spillLittle20,000 seabirds (including penguins) killed by spill and ecosystem impacts. 383 were successfully cleaned and released.2011United KingdomTristan da Cunha islandsMS OlivaRockhopper20,000 penguins oiled, 4,000 relocated to Tristan da Cunha. "Thousands" more died.2015-2016 Chilenear CachaguaHumboldtPenguin colony threatened by two oil spills during this period.2016South AfricaPort of NgquraBunkeringAfrican100 oiled penguins were treated.2019South AfricaPort of NgquraBunkeringAfricanHundreds of penguins were harmed in minor spill.2022PeruLimaRepsol refineryHumboldtPenguins and other seabirds oiled. Some rescued and cleaned.

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