Containership Under Investigation Over Oil Spill off South Africa

Investigators have placed a Cyprus-registered containership in their crosshairs as the possible source of an oil spill in Algoa Bay off South Africa's East Coast.

The spill, which has spread at sea and is impacting the region's wildlife, is believed to have originated from the MSC Apollo, a container vessel anchored in the bay, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).

MSC Apollo is scheduled to dock at the Port of Ngqura as soon as a berth is available for a thorough inspection to identify the source of the oil leak, SAMSA said, noting that the ship's classification society has been called in to assist.

An unquantified oily substance was first reported on Saturday when another vessel in the Algoa Bay spotted oil like blobs and an oily sheen on the water. A response team aboard a rapid response craft dispatched by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) confirmed the spill.

Upon further investigation, authorities discovered that the spill is believed to be stemming from the MSC Apollo.

Officials have met with the vessel agent and vessel insurer’s representatives in South Africa to devise a response plan that includes cleaning oil from the MSC Apollo hull as well as containing the spill  in the water to limit its spread.

SAMSA said authorities have been surveilling the area and local beaches from the Port of Ngqura to the Sundays River to gauge the spill's impact. Officials confirmed that a handful of penguins in the vicinity were found to have been oiled, and had been evacuated for cleaning. No oil has been spotted on the beaches.