Flyover video: Oil washes ashore on Alabama beach at Gulf Shores

By Robert McClendon, Press-Register
Published: Friday, June 11, 2010, 2:15 PM GULF SHORES, Ala. — The leading finger of a hand of oil hundreds of yards wide began washing up on the white sand beaches west of Gulf Shores this morning, the oily smear moving west toward the public beaches with each crashing wave. Alabama National Guard helicopter pilot Capt. Brad Howard, who has been tracking the oil from his Blackhawk, said that patch of oil was 10-12 miles offshore on Thursday. “We knew it was headed this way,” he said. “We just didn’t know it would be here this fast.” The majority of the slick was made up of a rainbow-like sheen, but heavy oil was congealing in the center of mass, forming broad patches that described by Howard as “pancakes.” Many of the pancakes were several yards in width. Howard said that the bulk of the slick would probably continue to wash up on shore. At about 1:30 this afternoon, a Press-Register reporter watched the oil began washing up as waves broke over sandbars at Gulf Shores’ main public beach. Adults and children continued swimming in the water until the oil was some 10yards away, at which point lifeguards told people they must get out of the water. After the watching bits of oil land on the beach and taking pictures with their cell phone cameras, many people then left the beach. As of 3 p.m. oil could still be seen within 100 yards of the shore and, although no one was swimming, people continued sunbathing along that stretch of beach. …

Video: Oil washes ashore on Alabama beach at Gulf Shores