35km Oil Slick Reaches Umm Al Quwain Shore, Forcing Beach Closures
The Gem No. 2 tanker was struck on 9 October, and satellite imagery shows the spill expanded rapidly before oil was spotted on the coast on Friday.
By Natalia Costa ·
Oil from the tanker Gem No. 2 reached the beaches of Umm Al Quwain on Friday, turning the water black and prompting local authorities to close several coastal areas. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment stated that containment efforts began immediately to limit the environmental impact of the spill.
Satellite images captured on Wednesday show the oil slick stretching more than 35 kilometers from the ship. A smaller leak was first visible on 19 October, but radar data reviewed by BBC Verify and the intelligence firm MAIAR indicates the spill grew rapidly over the next two days. The Gem No. 2, a Panama-flagged vessel, was struck by an unknown projectile on 9 October north of Al Jazeera Al Hamra, an event that started a fire and was later extinguished.
The maritime intelligence firm Vanguard reported that the strike occurred as the ship attempted to leave the Strait of Hormuz via an unauthorized route. Footage posted on 10 October showed crew members running across the deck in black smoke, while Iranian state media described the vessel as ablaze. The Indian consulate in Dubai confirmed on 11 October that all 22 Indian crew members were rescued.
Prof Steve Widdicombe, director of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, told BBC Verify that an impact on marine life was inevitable. Researchers noted that the severity of the damage depends on the volume and type of oil, evaporation rates, and the effectiveness of the cleanup. Spills can kill marine life quickly by trapping turtles, smothering seabirds, or damaging fish gills, while long-term exposure to toxic compounds may affect species' ability to reproduce.
The slick is moving toward the Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, a globally recognized Key Biodiversity Area. These islands host corals, seagrasses, saltmarshes, green turtles, and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish. Eoghan Darbyshire, a scientist at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, identified the spill's proximity to this area as the most concerning environmental angle.
The incident is part of a series of attacks on ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz at the start of October. Security experts told BBC Verify that the strikes are part of an Iranian effort to assert control over the waterway in response to US military escorts. This follows a large oil slick that reached the shores of Iran's Qeshm Island in August, which experts said threatened local wildlife and fishing communities.
