The Gulser Ana going down. Photo via www.australia.to

A ship carrying toxic waste sunk off the coast of Madagascar, and thousands of tons of refuse were emptied into the rich marine ecosystem. The wreck has had devastating effects on the sea life and the health of people who live inland–causing whales to mysteriously beach in greater numbers, and afflicting the locals with grave respiratory and skin diseases. The Gulser Ana, a Turkish shipping vessel, ran aground in the southernmost point of Madagascar. It then slowly leaked its load–39,000 tons of raw phosphates, 568 tons of fuel, and 66 tons of diesel–into the Indian Ocean. It just so happened that the spot where the accident occurred was a whale reproduction and migratory corridor zone, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. …

Toxic Shipwreck in Madagascar Kills Whales, Makes Locals Sick