Photos - Island's Oil Spill Association (IOSA)

IOSA Photos

Spill Responses

The "Starlight", a fishing seiner, hit a submerged
rock in Aleck Bay, south end of Lopez Island,
in 1998 and sank almost immediately, with 600
gallons of diesel onboard. IOSA responders
deployed boom around the sunken vessel
and removed black oil and oiled debris from
the surface on the first day. The red diesel seen
in the photo below came to the surface when the
tanks were pumped by Global Diving & Salvage.
All the fuel was contained inside the boom and
recovered with sorbent pads by IOSA crew.

This pretty seiner, the "Panther", sank in Beaverton Cove, near the UW Labs just outside Friday Harbor,
at the end of May in 2004. IOSA responders
deployed containment boom around the vessel
& began cleanup of 80 gals. of hydraulic oil at
the water's surface, as well as misc. floating
containers of petroleum-based materials & a
5-gal. bucket of soft tar. The remaining 80 gals.
of hydraulic oil was pumped from inside the
vessel. It was then raised and hauled out.
IOSA responders spent a week on this cleanup
& recovery operation.
photo by Ross Lockwood

In the photo below, calm waters give no hint
of the high winds that caused this vessel,
the "Stanley", to sink in mid- Dec 2006
in Fisherman Bay on the west side of
Lopez Island. IOSA responders cleaned
up oil from the vessel during the initial
sinking and then, several weeks later, once
again deployed boom around the vessel and
prepared to recover any fuel released
during the 2-day raising operation.
photo by Jackie Wolf

IOSA Trainings - Classes and Drills

IOSA's Search & Rescue of Oiled Birds classroom & field training - June 2008
photos by Jackie Wolf

    The slide below lists the "Behavior of birds that are
       oiled and not waterproof" during the classroom
           portion of IOSA's Search & Rescue training.
                                         It reads:
"On land,
- birds are shivering, acting depressed or sleeping a lot
- birds will be in unusual, exposed places
- very aquatic species like loons and grebes will be
hauled out on shore,
- birds that see you or are threatened in some way may
go into the water, but then haul out a few minutes later
further down the beach in another unusual location."

This 3-person search & rescue team practices
different strategies and techniques for capturing
an "oiled bird" who has been hiding behind
a log and is making a run for the water. Normally,
one of the team will carry a search & rescue backpack
filled with first aid & safety supplies, sorbent pads,
drinking water, etc. but in this practice session, the
third person is carrying the "bird", a stuffed animal,
that is tied by a string to a long stick. Jeff is doing
a great job of mimicking the movements and behavior
of an oiled bird that was hiding and has been
startled by the silent approach and sudden close
proximity of the search & rescue team.

With the "bird" in the net, Julie demonstrates how to
quickly and carefully roll the net down and over the
bird, so that the aluminum frame of the net will be flat
on the ground. During the class, everyone practices not
only capturing but also removing an oiled and/or injured
"bird" from the net and placing it safely in a box for
transport to the closest primary care station.

Hughes Bay drill - May 2008
Aerial photos by Rex Richardson

With shore attachments in place on both sides of the
entrance, crews on response vessels are ready to
connect the boom in the middle, which will completely
close off the entrance to Hughes Bay.

A minimum of 1500' of boom is needed to effectively
protect this bay, which sits directly exposed to the
Strait of Juan de Fuca on the south end of
Lopez Island.

A shore attachment has been secured in the northeast
corner of Hughes Bay and crews are preparing to
connect the boom, which will provide protection
for this beach and other ecologically-sensitive areas
on this side of the bay.

More Hughes Bay drill - May 2008
photos by Ross Lockwood

Randy and Don, part of the crew on the
"Sea Goose", tend to the boom as the last 100'
section is deployed into the water.

"Sea Goose" crew prepare to grab the boom and
set an anchor. This is a good view of the new
non-slip deck surface that was part of the
renovation of this vessel earlier in the year.

IOSA crew members Cathy, Julie and Robyn
discuss booming strategies in the cabin of the
"Sea Goose" on the way to Hughes Bay.

This is a poster-size copy of Hughes Bay as shown on nautical
charts. Posters like this, large enough for everyone to see, are used
at every IOSA containment drill. Rocks and other navigational
hazards are clearly seen & the large size enables the whole group
to discuss shore attachments, boom positions, anchor points, etc.

Randy secures the boom while Michael attaches the
anchor line. The entire anchor system is shown here.

Stuart Island Drill April 2009
photos by Jackie Wolf

Islanders from Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, Stuart & Waldron Islands gather on county dock at
Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island, for pre-drill orientation and crew assignments.

Unloading boom from storage trailer at County dock
in Prevost Harbor, Satellite Island in the background

Heron crew prepares to take boom from Sea Goose

Sea Goose crew unloads boom into the water as the Green
Heron tows to attachment point

Sea Goose heads east past Satellite Island on her way to find shore attachments and
set boom in the east entrance of Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island

Sunset from the stern of the Sea Goose, heading home
from Stuart Island after the drill