It takes planning
Oil is starting to flow from the El Grillo shipwreck again and threatens the life of Seyðisfjörður. Hlynur Vestmar Oddsson, a kayak guide from Seyðisfjörður, regrets the leak and wants to leave the ship.
“Yes, unfortunately, it has started,” says Hlynur, but he has kept his eyes open for the last few years. “It’s starting to corrode so much that they’re starting to arrive in more places than one.”
The British oil tanker is still lying at the bottom of Seyðisfjörður and has been since German planes sank it in World War II.
“This naturally kills our living environment, birds and young,” says Hlynur, but the last time there was a leak in the ship, it was reported that many of the baby eiders did not survive the oil and became prey. Now the situation is similar, dead eiders lie on the beach.
“The greatest environmental disaster in Iceland’s history”
Since then, various measures have been taken to stop the leak, for example, the wreck was pumped out in 2001 and concrete was poured for the leak over a year ago.
Now, on the other hand, it is likely that another opening has formed. “This is not a finished example, this is going to be an eternal leak,” says Hlynur.
Asked what can be done, Hlynur says that it is to improve the ship, which is about 7,200 gross tons. “This is the worst human-caused environmental disaster in Iceland’s history.”