Ecuador has declared a 180-day state of emergency for the Galapagos Islands, after a cargo ship with hazardous materials stranded on one of the islands, over the pristine waters of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Floreana was carrying some 13,000 gallons of fuel and 1,400 tons of cargo from the southern city of Guayaquil to the islands some 1,000 kilometers off Ecuador’s Pacific Coast, as part of a regular supply route.  Although booms have been placed in Naufragio Bay to contain leaking fuel, the governor of the Galapagos denies that there is any environmental damage.

But scientists and environmentalists would like more assurances.  “Naufragio is a bay with great biological diversity.  There is a potential risk of its being affected, especially for very large colonies of sea lions and invertebrate species from the coast,” said Carlos Valle, a professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Officials believe it will take 15 more days to fully offload fuel from the Floreana, and refloat and remove it. 

Another cargo ship ran aground there last year.  And in 2001, an oil tanker carrying 150,000 gallons of diesel caused serious environmental damage and devastated marine iguana populations after it became stranded.