It has been seven days since a vessel of unidentified origins and an unknown owner washed up on Cove Reef, Tobago, spilling a significant amount of an oil-like substance across the island’s windward coastlines.
While many questions still remain on the vessel’s ownership, though the name “Gulfstream” was visually confirmed, and this oil-like substance continues to freely flow into Tobago’s waters, officials at the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), the Tobago House of Assembly and volunteers have made significant headway in the clean-up efforts.
On the first two days of the spill, which began sometime overnight Tuesday, February 6th, 2024, into Wednesday, February 7th, 2024, southeasterly to southwesterly winds brought the oil-like substance along the windward coasts of Tobago from as far as Mt. St. George to Crown Point.
Since then, winds have generally remained easterly, taking the oil slick west and northwest of Tobago toward the Caribbean Sea. However, there have been no reports or indications of oil entering the western and northern coasts of Tobago.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) of Grenada says Trinidad and Tobago’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management has advised them that based on satellite images and aircraft fly-over, the oil spill is contained to the south of Trinidad. NaDMA reiterated that the state of Grenada is not under the threat of impact from the oil spill.
