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Witwater

Galeta Island, Canal Zone, Panama        1968-Dec-13

On December 13, 1968, the oil tanker Witwater broke up in heavy seas off the Atlantic coast of Panama. The breakup of the vessel, and continued leaking of the wreck spilled 14,000 barrels of Bunker C and diesel oil into the water 5 miles from Galeta Island. The oil eventually impacted Galeta Island. Keyword: Fire.

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Note: Documents are posted chronologically and early reports likely contain factual errors. These errors may be corrected in a later report.

Incident Response Documents

Summary 1968-Dec-13
Behavior of Oil 1968-Dec-13
References 1968-Dec-13
Countermeasures/ Mitigation 1968-Dec-13
Resources at Risk 1968-Dec-13
Shoreline Types Impacted 1968-Dec-13

Incident Details

Spill, potential spill, or other: Oil Spill
Cause of incident: Collision
Products of concern: Diesel, Bunker C
Amount spilled (approximate): 588,000 gallons

Latitude (approximate): 9° 35.00' North
Longitude (approximate): 80° 40.00' West

Counter measures:
Dispersants: Not applicable
In-Situ Burn: Evaluated and applied
Bioremediation: Not applicable

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