This group of photographs shows scenes of the Gulf of Mexico in the spring and summer of 2010, when at least four million barrels of crude spilled from the BP-Deepwarter Horizon wellhead. Despite the cleanup efforts, the flow of oil spread across an area of 68,000 square miles of water surface at its peak and impacted an untold number of marine life, wildlife and the livelihoods of regional residents for years to come.
This group of photographs shows scenes of the Gulf of Mexico in the spring and summer of 2010, when at least four million barrels of crude spilled from the BP-Deepwarter Horizon wellhead. Despite the cleanup efforts, the flow of oil spread across an area of 68,000 square miles of water surface at its peak and impacted an untold number of marine life, wildlife and the livelihoods of regional residents for years to come.
Because of the distance from shore and government restrictions which limited flights to no lower an altitude than 3,000 feet, access to views of the largest oil spill was extremely limited. BP tried to minimize the amount of oil on the surface, applying millions of gallons of toxic dispersants such as Corexit. As the oil made landfall, its immediate affects on wildlife like birds and fish were easier to grasp, but the true scale of the spill became distorted.
With the scarcity of fossil fuel sources continuing to increase, the potential for another man-made disaster similar to the Gulf Oil Spill - and scenes such as these - will remain. It is important for people to recognize and understand the collateral costs that our energy-intensive lifestyle can produce. Hopefully these images help to do this.