The West Sea oil spill

An oil tanker that was offshore in the West (more commonly known as Yellow) Sea on Friday was struck by a barge that broke away from a tugboat in bad weather. Three million or so gallons of crude oil went into the water. The affected area -- 20 kilometers long -- includes part of a maritime national park, fisheries, and popular tourist beaches.

The photos below were taken in July 2006 when my Lady Friend and I visited Mallipo Beach, the oil-smothered shoreline seen in the photos above.