Mainland Mexican Point Break Doused In PEMEX Oil

Yesterday evening, we received an email from Save The Waves Coalition regarding a tragic oil spill which occurred just offshore from the regular-footed paradise of Salina Cruz. The origin of the spill is reportedly a PEMEX oil platform and, though they have begun preparing for a cleanup effort, significant damage has already been done.

“Birds covered in oil were found in Bahías de Huatulco and Morro Ayuta, 105 Km and 68 Km away from the source of the spill. The exact volume of oil spilled and the impacted area remains unknown,” says Gino Passalacqua, Oceanographer and Scientific Advisor to Save The Waves. 

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Why is this a huge issue? Well, aside from the obvious environmental reasons concerning everything being covered in fucking oil, a majority of the local economy in this area operates on and around the ocean. Surf tourism and fishing are major income sources for the community and, obviously, are both in jeopardy as a result of the spill.

Aside from being the spot where we filmed a good portion of Coco and Mason Ho’s Electric Acid Surfboard Test, Punta Conejo is cherished by thousands of surfers worldwide, and happens to be a center of biodiversity.

Coincidentally, Save The Waves Coalition had already been pushing to designate the area around Punta Conejo as a legally protected site in order to protect the ecosystem.

“Punta Conejo is surrounded by beautiful but also vulnerable coastal ecosystems. This area is not only the home to many species, including the leatherback and olive ridley sea turtles, it’s also home to many people whose livelihoods depend on the coastal resources,” said Mara Arroyo, Surf Protected Area Network Manager for Save The Waves. “A conservation project in Punta Conejo will prevent further threats to the wave, biodiversity, habitat, and the local livelihoods and will contribute to conserving this unique and important ecosystem.”

PEMEX has agreed to hire local fisherman and other residents to assist in the clean, as they will be out of work as a result of closed beaches and a suspended mollusk fishery. The cleanup efforts have been projected to last anywhere from one to six months, but when was the last time an oil company gave us honest information regarding a situation like this?

More information as the situation develops.