Aerial view of Selendang Ayu, broken in half off Unalaska Island.

Ariel view of Selendang Ayu

The Selendang Ayu was a Malaysian cargo ship carrying a cargo of soybeans from Tacoma, Washington to China, which ran aground off the coast of Unalaska Island in western Alaska's Aleutian Islands on December 8, 2004. This resulted in a large oil spill. Aerial view of Selendang Ayu, broken in half off Unalaska Island  ©  This image is copyrighted. ... Aerial view of Selendang Ayu, broken in half off Unalaska Island  ©  This image is copyrighted. ... Download high resolution version (1596x1277, 999 KB) JUNEAU, Alaska (Dec. ... Download high resolution version (1596x1277, 999 KB) JUNEAU, Alaska (Dec. ... A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ... Binomial name Glycine max Soybeans (US) or soya beans (UK) (Glycine max) are a high-protein legume (Family Fabaceae) grown as food for both humans and livestock. ... Tacoma, with Mount Rainier in background You may be looking for Takoma or Tacoma class frigate. ... Unalaska is an island in the Fox Islands group in the middle of the Aleutian Islands southwest of Alaska, at . ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... Aleutians seen from space The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, island) are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi (17,666 km²) and extending about 1,200 mi (1,900... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Volunteers cleaning up the aftermath of the Prestige oil spill An oil spill(also called a oil slick) is the unintentional release of oil (generally, petroleum) into the natural environment as a result of human activity. ...

Multiple Jayhawk helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard were involved in evacuating the ship's 26 crewmembers to the Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley. One Jayhawk experienced problems after lifting seven crew members from the ship and crashed into the sea. Another helicopter recovered the three-man Coast Guard crew and one of the people from the ship. The Coast Guard searched for the remaining crew until their efforts were called off on December 10. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a twin-turbine engine, single rotor, semi-monocoque fuselage, rotary wing helicopter. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense. ... An American-looking gaff cutter with a genoa jib set This French yawl has a gaff topsail set. ... The United States Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley (WMEC-39) is a former U.S. Navy vessel that was recommissioned for Coast Guard duty on July 10, 1999. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ...

The ship had been carrying a significant amount of fuel, so there were fears that the Selendang Ayu could create the worst Alaskan oil spill since the Exxon Valdez. One tank containing 40,131 gallons of fuel ruptured when the ship broke apart. It is estimated that 424,000 gallons of heavy bunker C fuel oil and 18,000 gallons of diesel fuel was onboard when she grounded. The crew had transferred the fuel internal tanks when the ship foundered, and heaters were turned off so that the fuel would thicken in the cold waters. However, environmental officials estimate that up to 1.28 million litres of thick fuel oil (338,000 US gallons) leaked from the freighter [1] killing over 1,600 birds and other wildlife [2]. The Exxon Valdez oil spill was one of the most devastating manmade environmental disasters ever to occur at sea, seriously affecting plants and wildlife. ... Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. ... This article is about the fuel. ...

External links

• State of Alaska incident report
• Crew describes rescue mission. Anchorage Daily News.
• More Oil Spilled than first estimated CBC
• Maritimequest Selendang Ayu Photo Gallery
• National Transportation Safety Board Report

Gallagher Marine Systems, lead by David Barry and Howard Hile, lead the responce of over 500 workers in the 2 year cleanup. www.gallaghermarine.com