The first 24 of thousands of oiled Rockhopper penguins at Tristan da Cunha have been released!

This past Sunday marked an important turning point in the massive rescue operation currently underway at Tristan da Cunha. Of the 3,662 oiled penguins that have been collected to date, twenty-four lucky birds were released after making it through the cleaning and rehabilitation process. Here is a link to an article about this release from BirdLife International’s website: First Tristan penguins released from rehab. Katrine Herian, RSPB’S Project Officer on the island, was quoted as saying, “It was an emotional moment to see these penguins released from captivity and walk into the sea and then swim off among the waves.”

Having served as a rehabilitation supervisor during the rescue of 19,000 oiled penguins during the Treasure oil spill in 2000, I can just imagine the thrill of that moment. I say ‘imagine’ because I was in South Africa for the first three weeks of the operation, and most of our team had to leave Cape Town before any of the penguins were released. It was incredibly hard to leave without knowing how the penguins would fare – and excruciating leaving our colleagues behind where there was still so much work to be done. I always felt as though we had missed an important part of the rescue experience by not witnessing a release of some of the penguins we had worked so hard to save.

Release of first 24 Rockhopper penguins at Tristan. Photo by Trevor Glass

But the work is far from over on Tristan. They still have more than 3,600 oiled birds under their care – and thousands more oiled penguins (as well as other oiled birds and marine mammals) are still out on the islands. In addition to the oiled birds they’ve rescued, about 1,500 clean penguins have been collected to be transported to clean waters far from the area. So far, about 375 of the oiled penguins they’ve collected have died. Because it has taken so long for supplies and more help to arrive, the penguins’ chances of survival are more tenuous. The longer a penguin sits covered in oil, the more susceptible it is to illness or death.

Oil-covered Rockhopper penguins on Nightingale Island. Photo by Trevor Glass.

The good news is that the long-awaited second ship finally arrived from Cape Town earlier this week, carrying much-needed supplies and an experienced rescue team. Included on this team are Mariette Hopley, a superhuman dynamo who is a logistical genius. Mariette oversaw the creation and operation of the Salt River Penguin Crisis Centre during the Treasure rescue effort – this was a satellite facility that housed 16,000 of the 19,000 oiled penguins collected from Robben and Dassen Islands. Also on the ship was Venessa Strauss, current CEO of SANCCOB, the premier penguin rescue center in South Africa. They’ll be joining former colleague Estelle van der Merwe who, as previous Centre Manager of SANCCOB, served as the Treasure Crisis Manager overseeing the entire operation. Estelle was a member of the first rescue team to arrive at Tristan da Cunha following the sinking of the MS Oliva, and is currently serving as Environmental Advisor for this disaster. Although the task ahead of these experts, the Tristan Conservation Team, and the 100 islanders working to save the oiled birds is almost incomprehensible, I feel a great sense of relief knowing that these three extraordinarily capable women are on the rescue team.

Estelle van der Merwe with oiled Rockhoppers at Tristan da Cunha.

I encourage everyone who cares even a little bit about penguins or other birds, or about animals and nature in general to consider making a donation to help save these endangered penguins. There are just 150,000-200,000 Northern Rockhopper penguins left on earth, and most of them live in this remote island group. Conservation experts on the islands have estimated that up to 40,000 penguins could become oiled. This spill could have a devastating impact on their rapidly dwindling population. You can donate to help save these birds through one of the following groups. Please give generously! Thank you!

The Ocean Doctor (Dr. David Guggenheim) via The Ocean Foundation:  http://oceandoctor.org/ (Click on the green ‘donate now’ button in the right-hand column.) Or go to this link: Nightingale Island Disaster Penguin and Seabird Rescue Fund

RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): Nightingale Island Emergency Appeal

Foundation for Antarctic Research (via Crowdrise): Catastrophic Oil Spill – Tristan

BirdLife International’s “Community” page will feature regular updates on the rescue effort, so check it often for the latest news. Here is their Tristan report from yesterday: Island gets set to wash thousands of penguins.

Thank you!

Dyan deNapoli (The Penguin Lady) – author of The Great Penguin Rescue

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Fundraiser for oiled penguins at Tristan da Cunha on Crowdrise – please help them reach their $10,000 goal!

While I was out of town for several appearances this week, Sandra Birnhak, Director of the Foundation for Antarctic Research, was busy e-mailing me with regular updates about her fundraiser on Crowdrise for the oiled Rockhopper penguins at the Tristan da Cunha islands. Sandra visited this remote island group many years ago, and fell in love with the Rockhopper penguins she observed there. It was some time after this visit and several expeditions to Antarctica that she founded her non-profit organization. The mission statement from the group’s website says; Founded in 2008, The Foundation for Antarctic Research, Inc. primary focus is scientific research in Antarctica on behalf of wildlife that is gravely affected by changes in the environment and fishery laws.

Dead oiled Rockhopper penguin at Nightingale Island. Photo by Andrew Evans

Deeply moved by the current penguin crisis at Tristan da Cunha, Sandra began a fundraising campaign on Crowdrise, with an initial goal of raising $10,000 by tomorrow night (Sunday, April 3rd). As of this morning, her campaign had raised $4,770. Right now (4:00 pm EST on Saturday) the fund is up to $5,515. With your help, we can  meet that $10,000 goal. Please donate generously TODAY!

Sandra also came up with the idea of giving away a copy of my book, The Great Penguin Rescue, which chronicles the remarkable rescue of 40,000 penguins from the Treasure oil spill in South Africa, for a $100 donation. I served as a rehabilitation supervisor during this massive rescue effort, and am donating 20% of my proceeds from the book to penguin rescue and conservation groups. Sandra is providing several copies of my book for donors to the Tristan rescue, and I am donating copies to her fundraiser as well.

 

The Great Penguin Rescue by Dyan deNapoli

But her efforts don’t stop with this fundraiser – she has been very active in reaching out to her broad network, trying to get as many people as possible to support the rescue efforts at Tristan and to help disseminate information about the Rockhopper penguins and how they have been harmed by the MS Oliva oil spill. The Northern Rockhopper penguin is already classified as an endangered species, and if we don’t get more help out to these imperiled seabirds now, thousands will assuredly perish.

Large group of oiled Rockhopper penguins at Tristan. Photo by Trevor Glass

Much has happened in the four days that I was away, and I will post another update later today with the most recent news from the islands. I’ve been in communication with folks on the rescue team and with others closely involved with various fundraising efforts. I will do my best to distill everything down to a comprehensive and manageable report.

In the meantime, please visit the Crowdrise webpage for this fundraiser: CATASTROPHIC OIL SPILL – TRISTAN. And PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY. TODAY! Thank you.

Dyan deNapoli, penguin expert and author of The Great Penguin Rescue

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Dr. David Guggenheim (The Ocean Doctor) to give an urgent briefing about the Tristan oil spill on Thursday, March 31st at 10 am – view the live webinar or attend it live in DC

Dear fellow penguin and nature lovers,

I received a call today from Heather at The Ocean Foundation, alerting me to this urgent briefing tomorrow by Dr. David Guggenheim (otherwise known as the Ocean Doctor). Dr. Guggenheim just happened to be near Tristan da Cunha when the MS Oliva slammed into Nightingale Island on March 16th, spilling its fuel oil and oiling thousands of endangered Rockhopper penguins. Please see the press release below for more details. For those in the DC area, you can attend his talk in person at 10:00 am at the National Audubon Society 1150 Connecticut Ave #600. All others can watch the live webinar from 10:00 am to noon here: http://anymeeting.com/oceandoctor1

Urgent Briefing and Webinar on Oil Spill Disaster at Nightingale Island, Second Largest Population of Seabirds in the World

For those in Washington, DC, please attend this briefing live at 10am-12pm Eastern Time, Thursday March 31, 2011 : National Audubon Society, 1150 Connecticut Ave NW # 600, Washington, DC 20036-4132.

For those unable to attend in person, Dr. Guggenheim’s presentation will be broadcast via webinar and you can participate using the following link: http://anymeeting.com/oceandoctor1

Please join Dr. David E. Guggenheim, Senior Fellow at The Ocean Foundation, for an urgent briefing and strategy session regarding a major environmental disaster still unfolding at Nightingale Island, part of the most remote inhabited island group in the world, located in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean.

Dr. Guggenheim, who was on site shortly after the disaster occurred, will present details of this recent disaster, including photos and video. Trevor Glass, director of the Tristan da Cunha Department of Conservation, will participate by telephone from Tristan da Cunha.

Background of Oil Spill Disaster at Nightingale Island

Nearby Tristan da Cunha, where the only settlement exists, has a population of less than 300. Dr. Guggenheim was aboard the Silversea vessel, “Prince Albert II” which was in the area when, for reasons still under investigation, the 75,300 ton Greek freighter “Oliva,” en route from Santos, Brazil to Singapore with a cargo of soya beans, ran aground onto the rocks at Nightingale Island’s northwestern corner on March 16th. By early the following morning, when the Prince Albert II arrived on scene, the “Oliva”’s captain reported water in the engine room and the ship had a significant fuel leak from its tanks carrying 300,000 gallon load of heavy marine oil.

The Prince Albert II’s expedition team — specially trained in the operation of Zodiacs in heavy weather — rescued the 12 crew still aboard the Oliva. The expedition team reported heavy oil conditions in the water. Less than 12 hours later, Oliva broke apart on the rocks and the stern section which housed the crew, rolled onto its side and into the waves.

Once ashore at Tristan de Cunha on March 19th, Dr. Guggenheim met with Trevor Glass, Director of Tristan da Cunha’s Department of Conservation. Mr. Glass reported that oil had completely encircled Nightingale Island and that many oiled penguins, albatross and other seabirds, along with subantarctic fur seals,were observed. The Tristan de Cunha island group represents the second largest concentration of sea birds in the world. Half of the world’s endangered Northern Rockhopper penguin population is found here. Nightingale Island holds more than 100,000 pairs of Northern Rockhopper penguins, 20,000 pairs of albatrosses including the yellow nose albatross, and 2,000,000 pairs of Broadbill prions. The island is also home to the highly-endangered Tristan Bunting. Only 50 pairs remain in the world, all of which are found on Nightingale Island. Over the past week, the oil has encircled nearby Inaccessible Island, a World Heritage Site. Today (March 28), Dr. Guggenheim spoke with Mr. Glass and learned that the situation remains dire, efforts now being hampered by 50-60 knot winds and a shortage of supplies. The Oliva continues to leak oil.

Wildlife rescue efforts are underway, however the remoteness of Tristan de Cunha, which has no landing strip, means that the nearest help is a 4-7 day boat ride away (from Cape Town, South Africa). Trevor’s team is not equipped to deal with an oil spill of this magnitude and outside assistance is desperately needed. The Prince Albert II was able to supply Mr. Glass’ team with parkas, gum boots and gloves before its departure, and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), based in Cape Town, is providing some assistance.

Thank you!

David

David E. Guggenheim, Ph.D., the “Ocean Doctor”

Senior Fellow, The Ocean Foundation

Director, Cuba Marine Research & Conservation Program

http://www.OceanDoctor.org | http://www.TheOceanFoundation.org

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Rescue fund established to help the oiled penguins at Tristan da Cunha islands – please donate generously!

When the carrier MS Oliva ran aground last Wednesday morning on Nightingale Island – a tiny, 1.5 square-mile speck in the middle of the Southern Atlantic Ocean – thousands of seabirds on this isolated (and nearly untouched by man) island were suddenly put in dire peril. Approximately 200,000 endangered Northern Rockhopper penguins live on the few small islands that are part of the Tristan da Cunha island group. Local conservation officials have estimated that at least 20,000 penguins will be oiled from the fuel oil that spilled from the ship as it broke apart and sank. Other seabird species inhabiting these islands have also been observed with oil on their bodies. I almost hate to say it out loud, but the outlook is grim.

MS Oliva broken apart at Nightingale Island. Photo by Tristan Conservation Team

Trevor Glass, one of the Tristan Conservation Officers, has been working around the clock since the ship grounded on March 16th. After conducting an emergency survey of the area several days ago he was quoted as saying, “The scene at Nightingale is dreadful, as there is an oil slick encircling the island. The Tristan Conservation Team are doing all they can to clean up the penguins that are currently coming ashore. It is a disaster!”

Three oiled Rockhoppers at Tristan. Photo by Trevor Glass

The task they face is truly daunting – there are only 100 islanders available to help with the rescue efforts. And while SANCCOB and IBRRC have teams on stand-by, getting supplies and wildlife rescue teams there from other countries is proving to be a tremendous challenge. Not only are distance and accessibility major factors (the only way to get there is a 4-7 day journey by sea), there are political hoops to jump through to get foreigners out these islands. (For more on that, see this article in Tuesday’s Cape Argus newspaper: Rescuers on standby after island disaster.) But the following blog post from Jay Holcomb, Director Emeritus for IBRRC, seems to indicate that a team from SANCCOB might be on its way there now. It was written the day prior to the Cape Argus article, so it’s not entirely clear where they stand at the moment. “Catastrophic South Atlantic Oil Spill Threatens Endangered Rockhopper Penguins.”

Large group of oiled Rockhopper penguins at Tristan. Photo by Tristan Conservation Team

Many concerned people have been sending me messages this week, asking how they can help the stricken penguins on the Tristan da Cunha islands. To everyone wanting to help, I have some good news! The Ocean Foundation has just set up a fund to help save the penguins and other oiled seabirds affected by this oil spill. While it should be noted that the ship’s insurers will be required to pay for all costs associated with the animal rescue efforts and the removal of oil from the environment, it may be some time before these fines are paid, and the handful of rescue workers currently out on the islands trying to save the birds are in desperate need of funding to carry them over until then. PLEASE donate as generously as you possibly can – the penguins desperately need you!

To make a donation to help save the oiled seabirds at Tristan da Cunha, visit The Ocean Foundation‘s website. Your donation to the Nightingale Island Disaster Penguin and Seabird Rescue Fund is tax-deductible, and will go directly to help the teams working to save the oiled seabirds at Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha and Inaccessible Island. There is also a link to this donation form on the Ocean Doctor’s website (Dr. David Guggenheim).

Please help spread the word about this rescue fund. Thank you for your help!

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