Shocking photos from a WWF visit research trip to survey the damage caused by a recent oil leak in the Timor Sea, an area containing some of the most iconic and threatened species in the ocean.
Last month, the World Wildlife Fund sent a team of scientists to survey the damage caused by the recent oil leak in the Timor Sea.
Millions of litres of oil are pouring into the ocean from the Montara oil rig, located off the Kimberley coast, an area that contains a huge amount of marine life, including some of the most iconic and threatened species in the ocean.
Bob Gosford has more on the disaster here.
The Montara oil rig. Pic: Chris Twomey
The Montara oil rig. Pic: Chris Twomey
Bands of residue in the waters affected by the oil leak. Pic: Kara Burns
Heavy yellow oil residue. Pic: Debra Glasgow
Heavy yellow oil slick. Pic: Kara Burns
Algae slick with traces of waxy particles from the oil slick. Pic: Debra Glasgow
Algae slick with traces of waxy particles from the oil slick. Pic: Debra Glasgow
A sample of white waxy residue surrounded by algae was found in the waters affected by the oil leak. Pic: Kara Burns
Spinner dolphins surfacing in light oil sheen with a high density of small wax particles. Pic: Kara Burns
Streaked Shearwaters taking off in a period of scattered light oil sheen with small low density wax particles. Pic: Kara Burns
A pair of Bridled Terns sit on floating debris. Pic: Kara Burns
Giant jellyfish. The contamination presents on the water as a mirror-like oily sheen with scattered waxy particles. Pic: WWF
A sea snake swimming through a sea of oil sludge. Pic: Kara Burns
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