Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., Saturday, June 12, 2010. Large amounts of the oil battered the Alabama coast, leaving deposits of the slick mess some 4-6 inches thick on the beach in some parts. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
GULF SHORES, Ala. -- Thousands of people lined Gulf Shores beaches this afternoon, but almost none dared even put a toe in the water.
In some sections, large pools of black oil sat on the shoreline.
Small groups of workers took turns for hours shoveling clumps of the oil into black plastic bags. But as quickly as they dug, the oil washed ashore -- in sheets, in globs, with each successive, dark wave.
Occasionally, a group of beachgoers would rise from their towels and stand at the edge of the oil, which kept them four or five feet from the water's edge.
They stared and took photographs of the devastation and the oil-stained sands.
A group of women walking the beach paused near the workers.
"This summer is ruined," said Barbara Nicholson, who lives in Mobile and owns a condo in Gulf Shores. "What I'm thinking about now is what tomorrow is going to bring and for how long."
In some sections, large pools of black oil sat on the shoreline.
As far east or west as the eye could see, oil stained the white sands.
Small groups of workers took turns for hours shoveling clumps of the oil into black plastic bags. But as quickly as they dug, the oil washed ashore -- in sheets, in globs, with each successive, dark wave.
Occasionally, a group of beachgoers would rise from their towels and stand at the edge of the oil, which kept them four or five feet from the water's edge.
They stared and took photographs of the devastation and the oil-stained sands.
A group of women walking the beach paused near the workers.
"This summer is ruined," said Barbara Nicholson, who lives in Mobile and owns a condo in Gulf Shores. "What I'm thinking about now is what tomorrow is going to bring and for how long."
Oil from the spill was obvious to visitors entering the Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores this afternoon. The pier itself is protected by boom and fish were visible as they swam underneath the entrance to the structure.
Oil cleanup workers hired by BP make an effort to clean the shore in Orange Beach, Ala., Saturday, June 12, 2010. Large amounts of the oil battered the Alabama coast, leaving deposits of the slick mess some 4 inches thick on the beach in some parts. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Outside the boom, however, it appeared that workers had removed the material that washed ashore, revealing a 10-foot-wide swath of sand stained brown by the oil.
No fishing is allowed at the state-owned pier, but sightseers can still visit there.
source http://blog.al.com/live/2010/06/gulf_beaches_filled_with_waves.html
No comments:
Post a Comment