Spill Smarts

How does the spill affect animals?

Birds

Have you ever been so hot on the beach sand that you want to swim in the cool ocean? Seabirds like pelicans spend a lot of time on the water and need their feathers so they can keep warm against the cool water. But if birds get oil on themselves, they can’t stay warm because their feathers are damaged. Oil also makes it harder for birds to fly out of the water.

Turtles, like your guide Tina

What happens if you eat something that’s bad for you? You might get very sick. Oysters and clams are two of sea turtles’ favorite foods, but if a turtle eats an oyster or clam with oil, the oil could hurt the turtle and make it sick. Turtles are also very picky about how they lay their eggs. If oil gets on turtle eggs, the babies might not grow properly and be born deformed.

Manatees and dolphins

Manatees and dolphins are mammals, which means they can’t breathe underwater. They have to swim up to the water surface to breathe. Oil is lighter than water, so it floats on top of the surface. This means manatees and dolphins have to touch the oil when they swim up to breathe. If they do touch the oil, their eyes can hurt and they can get a little sick.

What are we doing to help these animals?

Many people are working to help by searching for hurt animals and cleaning the oil off of them. All these people have been taught how to care for the hurt animals and are doing their best to help the animals return to clean waters. After finding the hurt animals, these people examine the animals carefully to see how much oil is on them. They then clean the animals with chemicals and water that will remove the oil from their feathers, fur and skin. The animals spend some time in a clean, quiet area that resembles their natural habitat so they can recover. Before they are released back to a clean habitat, they are examined to make sure they are completely healthy.

What can kids do to help the animals?

One way you can help hurt animals is to report it immediately. Do not touch any animals! You could hurt them if you try to help them, or they could hurt you. Call someone so that a trained person can help save the animal. If you see an animal hurt by oil, tell your parents.