Mauritius Oil Spill: Darren Maule speaks to ship salvaging expert
Following reports that a Japanese tanker which ran aground in Mauritius in late July split apart on Saturday, 15 August 2020, pouring the rest of the fuel it carried into the ocean, Darren Maule spoke to a ship salvaging expert to find out more.
The shipwreck of the MV Wakashio has caused one of the worst environmental catastrophes for Mauritius when an oil spillage occurred, causing a devastating impact expected to last for decades - according to reports.
However, according to Captain Okke Grapow (a highly experienced salvage professional and former executive of a fleet of salvage vessels and environmental response vessels), who spoke to Darren Maule about the damage, it is not as bad as it sounds.
READ: Ship that oozed oil off Mauritius coast splits in two
When Darren referred to the issue as "devastating", Captain Okke Grapow said: "It is hyperbole. You're talking merely about fuel. That ship, the Wakashio, can carry 180,000 tons, not 1,000, 180,000. Suppose you have a tanker with that kind of content, then you have a disaster... At the moment it is just fuel. The engine burns something like 45 tons every day, so it gives you an idea of how much fuel they need..."
If you're panicking about this oil spill or any other oil spill in the past few years, Captain Okke Grapow gives all the information and insight on this phenomenon - he even rates the severity of the disaster on a scale of one to ten.
READ: Ship leaks more oil off Mauritius as calls for answers grow
Listen to the podcast below to learn more:
READ: Mauritius sounds alarm as grounded bulk carrier leaks oil
IMAGE CREDIT: AFP
Catch up with moments from the latest edition of Darren, Keri, and Sky below: