MV Treasure oil spill

|hide_header= |name=* Berge Captain (1983–1984) *Tokomaru (1984–1990) *Ocean Conqueror (1990–1997) *Treasure (1998–2000) |completed=1983 * |length= The Weekend Argus newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying the ship was owned by Universal Pearls, which it claimed to be the same Chinese shipping company that owned (which sank off Cape Town's coast in 1994 and caused extensive environmental damage). ==Cause==

Treasure sank on 23 June 2000 from structural damage sustained in foul weather. The vessel went down off the coast of South Africa, between Robben Island and Dassen Island after developing a hole in her hull. Authorities wanted to tow the ship into the South African harbor for repair, but she was too large for the maneuver and was ordered farther off-shore in an attempt to reduce environmental damage from oil pollution. While under tow in rough seas the tow ropes ripped loose. The ship then drifted eastward and sank. The ship's crew were airlifted to safety. ==Amount and type of oil spilled==

Treasure was estimated to have been carrying 1,300 tons of bunker oil of which 400 tons, approximately , spilled into the sea off the coast. The pear-shaped slick, about in area, was spotted around noon by Kuswag VII, the Department of Environmental Affairs' oil pollution patrol aircraft. The oil spilled was the ship's own fuel oil, which was of the heaviest and most viscous commercial fuel that can be obtained from petroleum. Bunker oil, also known as heavy fuel oil, is what remains after the lighter fractions (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, etc.) are removed by distillation. The heaviest materials in crude petroleum are not distilled, as their boiling points are too high to be conveniently recovered. As a result, bunker oil is usually very dark in color, more dense, and a significantly more serious contaminant than less-dense oils. ==Environmental effects==

Aside from causing the temporary closing of South Africa's ports and threats to species of gannets, cormorants, and seals, The spill mainly affected African penguin colonies inhabiting South Africa's Robben and Dassen Islands, which support the largest and third largest colonies of African penguins in the world. At the time of the spill, the worldwide population of African penguins was estimated at less than 180,000. About 150,000 African penguins lived off South Africa's coast, 19,000 of which lived on Robben Island. There are currently fewer African penguins in the wild than were rehabilitated in the aftermath of the oil spill. ==Cleanup efforts==

South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) spokesman Pim Zandee reported that divers confirmed the ship had suffered structural damage when sinking and that oil globules were rising from cracks in the hull. It was also reported that engine room vents, which leaked a steady stream of oil, were closed off, drastically reducing the amount of oil polluting the surface. The dive team continued to seal oil leakages from the wreck. Three days after the sinking, the dive team reported that very little oil was leaking out of the ship. ==Dive site==

Treasure is a recreational dive site. The ship's large size and the facts that its hull is resting on a flat sand bottom at down, and part of its main deck is within of the surface, coupled with its location in the Bloubergstrand area near Cape Town, South Africa, have contributed to its popularity. ==See also==