This entry is the eighth of a several-part installment on my coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Feel free to comment and ask questions & please help to share this link with others. You can read all of the current entries here: http://itsjustlight.com/?cat=105
It should be noted that this entry is VERY heavy on photo content (and is very long in general). It may take up to a few minutes for all of the images to load if you aren’t using a high-speed internet connection. You can access a larger version of each image in every entry by clicking on the photo; a new window or tab will open with the larger image, which I highly recommend to see the most detail.
After capturing hundreds of photos of dark, oily waves rolling ashore beneath the pier, I descended the wooden stairs down to the beach itself. I photographed the workers from the beach now, separated from them by the berm and the bright orange Tiger Dam. I started to hike east across the loose sand in the direction of Barataria Pass, an opening between Grand Isle and Isle Grande Terre where the waters of Barataria Bay merge with those of the Gulf of Mexico. Decaying redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) dotted the sand, most of them appearing almost mummified by the blazing sun. Their bodies lay belly up, internal organs missing and scaly skin hardened like a medieval suit of armor. Their mouths were frozen open in wide, ghastly frowns, their eye sockets empty and dark.
Plastic garbage bags filled with oil.
As I walked farther east, away from the pier, fewer and fewer workers were present. The sand berm began to get smaller and smaller as I neared the rock jetty lining the shore along Barataria Pass until eventually it disappeared altogether. As I neared the rocks, I could see that they were covered with the dark stains of crude oil, which clung to them and dripped slowly down like thick, cold molasses. The sand behind the rocks was covered with thick pools of oil too, cast ashore by crashing waves. Buffeted by the waves, an oil drenched containment boom foundered against the rocks. The wide expanse of Barataria Pass was open with only a few short booms extending out from the shore, seemingly placed at random and with no real intention of keeping oil from reaching the beach.
The beach along the eastern side of Grand Isle bordering Barataria Pass completely covered with crude oil with no cleanup crews in sight.
The rocks along the pass continued to the north and I followed them. I felt as if I must surely have been somewhere that BP would not want anyone to see, but as an atv zoomed past me heading west its rider waved. With the lone rider past me and not a single soul in front of me, my racing heartbeat began to slow. Before long, my senses were overwhelmed by the unmistakable scent of death. I began to notice bones and bodies on and between the rocks, those of birds and fish. On a large rock, two young seagull chicks were baked into a pile of decaying skin and feathers. They were recent victims, perhaps only dead for a day. A few feet away, the large bones of a brown pelican and its oil stained feathers lay between rocks spotted with oil. Brown pelicans were just taken off the US federal endangered and threatened species list in November of last year. Just beyond the rocks, the beach began to open up, formed by sand that washes through the pass and collects along the rocks. This beach was completely drenched with crude oil and it looked as if a cleanup crew had never set foot there.
The little bit of orange visible between the rocks is boom that has failed to protect anything and washed onto the jetty.
Boom stretches out from the shore a short distance into Barataria Pass, easily allowing oil to flow around it (and over it) into Barataria Bay and onto this beach.
Beyond the oil soaked sand, Isle Grande Terre can be seen across Barataria Pass.
To the west of the rocks stretched the marsh and the lagoon, home to hundreds of shorebirds and wildlife. I walked toward the lagoon and noticed a strange bone sitting on top of the mud. A tiny piece of flesh clung to the end, and as I knelt down to get a closer look I could see that it was the toothless jaw of a dolphin. Crabs scurried about, a testament to the fact that the bone must be from a relatively recent death. I had seen a few pictures of the dead dolphins that have been falling victim to the oil, but nothing really prepares you to see and to smell the death in person. If there was a jaw in the marsh, I knew that there must have been more remains not far off. I walked back towards the rocks and beach, the sounds of the shorebirds wading in oily water receding behind me.
As I neared the northern side of the island and Barataria Bay, more bones dotted the sand. Bigger ones. As I approached them, the stench grew worse and worse and soon I could see the carcasses of what were clearly more dolphins. A pile of large cetacean vertebrae and ribs, nearly devoid of any flesh, lay partially covered in the sand. The bones were marked with spray paint to show that they had been recorded. A cluster of crab burrows surrounded the bones, a clue to where the soft parts had vanished. Closer to the water lay a nearly complete dolphin carcass, most of its skin still present, what was left of the internal organs spilling out onto the sand. It too was covered with spray paint. The smell was overwhelming as I stood over the dolphin, the sight heartbreaking. Never before have I wanted to leave a place as badly as when I stood there on the east end of Grand Isle.
It’s my understanding that deceased animals are supposed to be collected so that an initial examination can be given to ascertain cause of death. For animals where the cause of death is not readily apparent, a more detailed examination is to be administered and in some cases a partial or full necropsy will be performed. If exposure to or ingestion of oil is found to be the cause of death, that would place BP as the liable party, responsible for paying hefty fines and potentially facing criminal charges. It would be easy to prove that BP is responsible if these animals were collected from the beaches, but it seems to me that leaving the bodies on the beach to decay (and with the presence of scavenging animals it can take only a few days for a body to be reduced to little more than bones) ultimately will make it easier for BP to duck responsibility for many of the deaths. It’s very difficult to figure out what the real story is when no one is talking.
Over the 73 days since the oil began to flow, I have come across only a few photographs from this area, none of them taken by photographers for the major wire services or published in any mainstream media outlets. This area was not cordoned off, nor were there any security personnel (or anyone at all) present. While my heart was pounding as I photographed the dolphins, no one stopped me. As abhorrent as the actions of BP are that continue to lead to the deaths of thousands of animals, so too is it appalling that more images and accounts of these deaths are not being shared with the world. These images are hard to view and the description unpleasant to read, but perhaps if more people were able to see the very real toll the oil is taking on the wildlife of the Gulf, fewer people would still be able to insist that the oil disaster isn’t that bad. I was issued a media pass with a number near 300, meaning that 200+ journalists, news crews, and photographers had been on Grand Isle over the course of nearly two months. In this day and age it is almost unheard of for a photographer to capture anything completely unique – there are usually dozens of nearly identical photos taken by different photographers working for the various wire services, all from slightly different vantage points. Why do I seem to have the only photos of these dolphins on the east end of Grand Isle?
Certainly this area is not one where visiting politicians are taken or where the press is given directions to, but it was not difficult to find. When President Obama visited Grand Isle, he was brought to a stretch of beach nearly devoid of oil, patriotic red and blue absorbent pom-poms scattered about, uncontaminated and recently placed. Perhaps if he had been shown what I was so easily able to see, there would be a greater sense of urgency and a very tangible example of what is at stake as the oil continues to spread out across the Gulf. As I’ve said earlier, hope is important, but painting an unrealistic picture for the world is not beneficial to anyone. Damage cannot be fixed if people are not fully aware of what the damage truly is.
As I made my way back toward the pier, I swapped out the memory card in my camera that contained hundreds of photos of the decaying dolphins with a new card. I wasn’t willing to take any chances and though all of my experiences with security and law enforcement so far had been relatively tame, the knowledge of what these pictures depicted left me unwilling to risk any chance of losing them.
The sun was directly overhead and the petroleum fumes were as thick as the humidity that saturated the 95 degree air. I began to wish that I had brought a bottle of water with me. I should have, but I never expected to walk as far, find what I did, or to linger as long. I had walked more than two and a half miles and my body began to feel the effects of the heat. As the pier came into sight, I could feel my pulse racing and chills running through my body. The sun was blazing down, but in spite of this I was cold. It just wouldn’t do to pass out on the middle of the beach, as much as my body was telling me that it was a good idea. I managed to pull myself up the stairs and onto the pier and then back through the staging area and toward the car.
Several buses had just arrived in the staging area and were discharging hundreds of passengers who would soon find themselves on the beach scooping up oil. I passed through the crowd and made my way back to the car. As I approached the road that I had parked on, I heard bootfalls behind me for the second time that day. This time, it was two BP security contractors wearing blue t-shirts emblazoned with a Talon security crest. “A little bit too late, guys,” I thought to myself, knowing that hundreds of photos of dead wildlife were safely stored on a memory card hidden in my pocket.
“What are you doing?” they demanded.
“Walking, is there a problem?” I replied…not quite as friendly this time, since BP’s contracted security guards certainly have no official right to question anyone, especially in a state park.
“Why are you coming from the staging area? You don’t have any business being in this area.”
“Actually, I’m coming from the public beach,” I responded as I turned and walked away.
Talon Security contracted by BP.
Equally aware as I was that they had no powers to physically detain anyone exiting a public beach, they didn’t follow after me. For a company that is spending millions of dollars trying to reassure people that they are not the most villainous corporation in the world, BP might consider instructing their contractors to be a bit friendlier and perhaps to try not to come across like mob enforcers. By the time I made it to the car, my hands were shaking furiously, not from the ridiculous encounter with security, but from heat exhaustion. My skin was covered in goosebumps and it was only after drinking half a gallon of water, eating a banana, and relaxing for half an hour that I felt almost back to normal.
I printed it! No chance that this will be lost to the cyber space. Fantastic reporting!
Thanks Paula! Printing out these articles is a great idea…I should probably start doing that too.
First, I want to thank you for delivering up such a solid piece of work under very difficult circumstances. Sadly, I am sure this stretch of beach is only one of many, many more, that are being ignored by clean up efforts and the media. The national press core seems to be well trained. I hold all of you in high honor, but I miss the days of Cronkite, Woodward and Bernstein.
America needs to see these images. People are in denial, and fear life after oil. If this disaster fails to bring change, drastic change, nothing will. Even as the oil continues to pummel the shore of Louisiana, thousands of residents are fighting for drilling to restart. I just hang my head and cry.
Karen, I agree & have no doubt that this is one of only dozens and perhaps even hundreds of areas that are being ignored by everyone. While I was stuck on the ground, the footage that I’ve seen from the air shows countless beaches along the numerous barrier islands all looking just like this, devoid of any cleanup workers. The cleanup crews are most heavily concentrated in the popular tourist areas which get the most media attention. As sad as it is to see newscasters interviewing toddlers who are upset about not being able to swim in the oily Gulf…they will survive without a beachside vacation. It’s the beaches and marshes that are more isolated that are receiving the least attention, but should be receiving the most. These are the areas which provide critical habitats for nesting shorebirds, sea turtles, and hundreds of other animals. It’s a truly tragic situation with no end in sight.
Great work, ran across the same and more on the west end…. http://nativeorleanian.com/bp-smoke-mirrors-and-oil-2/
Thanks Jerry – I’ve been following your work as well since May. You had some of the first photos coming out of Grand Isle and seem to be one of the only other photographers who has photographed any of the dolphins washing ashore there. Keep up the good work
It’s refreshing to see writing that doesn’t rely on sensationalism or conspiracy theories. You’ve done a great job of reporting what is going on very fairly, which under the circumstances isn’t easy. I hope CNN and the NY Times start reading this too.
Nick:
Your work is amazing! What a great report on such a tragic and preventable disaster.
I, along with many others, am sickened and disgusted by BP’s arrogance, greed and lies. Thank you for this report that further proves what we already know.
Tears will continue to be shed for the Ocean, all marine life, wildlife, all living creatures that have been murdered by BP. As this nightmare continues to unfold, one must ask the question, is our US government really this stupid or will the collusion of BP and the US government be exposed?
Thank you for your commitment to the truth and doing what is right and moral.
Warmest regards,
Cindy
man this makes me sick to see! i dont see how no other photographers have gotten photos of these dolphins. people need to see them!
[...] Black Death (раrt VII) – itsjustlight.com [...]
Thank you so much for your courage and dedication in showing us what’s REALLY going on, Nick. Please continue to do so, and share your photographs and words with the world. As difficult as it is to view the photographs and read the words, we all NEED to SEE this.
Forgive me if you’ve already answered this, but have you contacted any major media outlets to share your experiences? Particularly Anderson Cooper?
I sincerely appreciate everything you are doing, and keep up the fantastic work.
Thanks for your very kind words of support – it means a lot to have such great readers who care.
I’m fortunate to have a lot of great friends who are also writers and photographers – many of them have been great about helping share my words & photos with others. For whatever reason though, the major outlets have seemed relatively uninterested in this. My media pass from Grand Isle was nearly #300, meaning that a few hundred other journalists, many of them from the wire services and major outlets, had already been on Grand Isle. This area was a decent hike away from the easily accessible public beach though, so for whatever reason, no one else seems to have ventured down that far. No barriers, guards, gates, fences….just a long walk. Hidden in plain sight, essentially.
Fortunately, as of right now people from 721 cities in 53 countries across six continents have visited these entries about the oil disaster. I’m grateful to everyone who continues to share the link to these pieces. These images are tough to see, but I think it’s important that people do. If seeing these dolphins isn’t a cure for apathy, I don’t know what is.
I’d love to see this get more attention from the major media outlets – I certainly invite everyone to send in tips and emails to anywhere they can.
Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!
Thank you so much for doing what I could not. Thank you so much for gritting your teeth and going through what I would not dare. I did not enjoy seeing what you have documented here, but like the Holocaust, we must see it to accept the reality of it. We must get the word out. I am going to share this page with all of my friends and encourage them to do the same. We need to also see about getting this around Europe. I have some friends there and will do all I can to ensure they see this site.
God Bless You.
Thank you for giving these silent victims a voice. They deserve so much more from us. I’ll spread this far and wide. Keep up the good work!! I’ll follow your updates religiously
Kristie — Gulf Coast Resident
Thank you so much for your reporting. I honestly don’t know how the officials of BP, their ‘security team’ or anyone else down there can shed their own horror at what is happening. I suppose I’d never work out as an employee in that capacity. I’m extremely grateful that there are journalists and citizen reporters who are doing the work that the major outlets should be reporting on daily.
Your work is incredible and needs to be shared as much as possible. Too bad the white house doesn’t seem to care, hard copies of these pictures should be delivered to them, but doubt that it would make a difference After letter writting I got the same old canned response. I find it obscene that so many are celebrating the fourth this year we no longer have that country and I no longer can take pride in this country. This should be a day of mourning.
Thankyou for doing this I can only imagine how horrible this is to see and smell in person. Your images are devastating to me but I need to see them. Will share.
Diane
Thank you very much Diane. I intend to send copies of these articles and photos to the WH, and I encourage others to do so as well. Only a few letters actually make it into the President’s hands, but you never know.
Nick, great pieces here. Thanks for the reports. One question- the picture of the meter, I zoomed in and am trying to find the manufacturer/ type of equipment in this picture. Do you have more information as to what it is measuring, and to what scale? Thanks for any help, Scott
Scott, the model is SKC PCXR8. It’s an air sampling pump; you can download the user manual here: http://argus-hazco.com/tech-library/SKC/PCXR8/PCX8-operating-inst.pdf
I had the same thought as well, but it seems the high number (720) is a measure of the run time of the sampling pump.
Thank you so much for this, Nick.
Your work is a treasure, thank you! May I provide a link to your work in my newsletter?
Thank you for the support! Absolutely – everyone is welcome and encouraged to share the link to these pieces. I think it’s important that people are able to see photos like this to know what the Gulf is truly up against. Jerry Moran is another great photographer with some of the only photos of the dead dolphins on the other end of Grand Isle.
Excellent work.
Thank you so much for posting these. How much longer can we as a race be tricked into ignoring unprecedented global disaster? Not much longer with photographs like these.
Eris, I really hope you’re right. Sadly though, equally shocking photos have been taken around the world for decades, yet little has changed in people’s attitudes.
Over the last half century, billions of gallons of oil have been spilled in the Niger Delta. I find it shocking that our own oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico – our very own backyard – isn’t receiving the attention or sense of urgency it deserves. After seeing the poor response to stopping the leak and preventing the oil from reaching the shores and marshes here in the US, it takes no stretch of the imagination to realize how terribly situations like this are handled in other parts of the world that are essentially isolated from the Western media. It’s safe to assume that if corporations in what is supposedly the most progressive nation on Earth are able to sweep tragedy under the rug, they are able to do the same and much worse in countries that have always been exploited.
I think that Margaret Mead’s famous quote holds true, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” I only hope that this change comes soon and that individuals realize their power and begin to make changes in their own lives.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sheleena Wialliams, Brooks Ayola. Brooks Ayola said: @MacMcClelland My friend Nick is still back in Grand Isle… http://itsjustlight.com/?p=1146 [...]
I live in Orange Beach and am so saddened at the loss of our beautiful wildlife. The birds and dolphins have no idea of what has happened to their home. Your writings truly tell what is happening on our coast. I hope that someday you will make this into a book.
[...] Photojournalist Nick Zantop finds a dolphin wreck (many bodies) at the east end of Grand Isle, and avoids having his images confiscated by BP goons. He wonders why no other images of this fairly accessible wreck have surfaced in the news. Graphic. itsjustlight.com Black Death (part VII)…Jul 2nd, 2010…by nick….This entry is the seventh of a several-part installment on my coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico….It should be noted that this entry is VERY heavy on photo content (and is very long in general). It may take up to a few minutes for all of the images to load if you aren’t using a high-speed internet connection. You can access a larger version of each image in every entry by clicking on the photo; a new window or tab will open with the larger image, which I highly recommend to see the most detail. http://itsjustlight.com/?p=1146 [...]
great reporting, please add me (if u post to Facebook/Twitter)
http://twitter.com/markmayhew
Thank you for your words of truth. I am from Pensacol, Fl. and they have turned our beautiful white sands into a oily tarry mess.
I took a sign to my beach that said… SAVE THE GULF, plug the leak with a BP executives.
Someone called the police on me. They started walking towards me and then everyone turned their cameras on them and they walked away. Then the police helicopter circled me 3 times. I was sitting with two friends and we are in our 50′s.
I felt like I lived in BP of America instead of the United States of America.
Speak out everyone. Tells others what you see and report things that BP are doing wrong.
They have gotten away with being the lying bullies for so long that they think they are untouchable.
Dee
BP makes me sick!
these are the most horrifying photos I’ve seen!
It’s great to read something that is better researched and written than 3/4 of what’s being published in the mainstream news, but also doesn’t waste time with conspiracy theories like many of the “alternative” sources do. It’s just honest and I think that’s what we all need.
The panoramic photos are beautiful, yet at the same time horrible because of what they depict. You manage to show both the wonderful beauty of nature and the tragic devastation all in the same frame. Thanks for your work and dedication
Thank you. I am in Illinois and it is hard to imagine the horror of what is happening on the Gulf. Your pictures and words help. What you are doing is important, very important.
We all must continue to exercise our 1st Amendment rights and petition our government through letters, emails and phone calls to our elected representatives in Washington. We must encourage all of friends to do the same. We cannot hide our heads in the sand on this, the sand will kill us.
Thank you.
This is great work- when you read this you could think you are in Russia or in Iran but not in USA…
[...] the one below that show the less picturesque side of oil contamination and its tragic effects in Part VIII: A dolphin left to decay on a secluded beach in Grand Isle, [...]
[...] the one below that show the less picturesque side of oil contamination and its tragic effects in Part VIII: A dolphin left to decay on a secluded beach in Grand Isle, [...]
[...] that show the less picturesque side of oil contamination and its tragic effects in Part VII and Part VIII: Cleanup workers on Grand Isle struggle to keep up with the dark oil washing [...]