Unit66ExxonValdezOilSpillTheExxonValdezdepartedfromtheTransAlaskaPipelineterminalat9:12pmMarch23,1989.AfterpassingthroughValdezNarrows,pilotMurphyleftthevesselandCaptainHazelwoodradioedtheCoastGuardtoreporttheExxonValdezhad"fetcheduphardaground"andwas"evidentlyleakingsomeoil."Thatscratchy,understatedmessagesetthesceneforoneoftheworsthuman-causedenvironmentaldisastersinhistory.Overthenextspringandsummer,thenewsinAlaskaandaroundtheworldwasdominatedbyimagesandstoriesfromPrinceWilliamSoundandtheGulfofAlaska--thousandsofdeadanddyingbirdsandseamammals,angryfishermen,armiesofrockwipersimprobablycleaningbeacheswithrags.BirdsandottershaveproventhemselveshighlyvulnerabletotheoildriftingaroundtheSound.Ottersaretheonlymarinemammallackingaprotectivelayerofblubberbeneaththeirhide.Theydependtotallyontheirdensefurforwarmthandfloatation.Whenthatfurgetsdirty,theotterdies.TheseanimalsaresosensitivetocontaminationthatearlyeffortstotransplantthemfromAlaskatootherpartsoftheWestCoastfailed.Theotters,theirfurdirtiedbyhandling,diedincaptivity.Giventhisproblem,scientistssawlittlehopeofsavingtheotters.Therewere4,000to6,000oftheseanimalsintheSound.Nooneknowshowmanyhadcomeincontactwiththeoil.Seabirdswerenotinmuchbettershapethanotters.Oilmattedthefeathersofbirds,andthatledtodeathinanumberofways.Mattedfeathersceasetoinsulateandbirdsdieofhypothermia.Oilcoatedfeathersmakeitimpossibleforthebirdstoflytosafeareas.Birdsexhaustthemselvestryingtostayafloatafteroildestroysthewaterrepellencyoftheirfeathers.Rescuerswerehavingadifficulttimegettingtothebirdstocatchthemonrockybeaches.Inordertorehabilitateonebirdsuccessfully,rescuersneeded150gallonsofwaterat104degrees.Theobstaclesstandinginthewayofthejobwereintimidating.Animalslivinginthenearbyforestsandroamontothetidelandsinsearchoffood.Mink,landottersandbearscouldbeharmed.Therearesimilarfearsforbaldeagles,anotherscavenger.Theeagleshavealreadybegunpreyingupontheseabirdskilledorinjuredbyoil.Scientistsknewthatthe11milliongallonsofoilthathadspilledintotheSo