Wildlife killed, reefs damaged in ‘active’ Gulf of Mexico oil spill

Authorities say the oil is seeping from three sources, including a vessel that has not yet been identified.Oil spilling from an unidentified vessel and two “natural” sources in the Mexico" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="4522" data-entity-type="location">Gulf of Mexico has spread to seven nature reserves, covering an area of more than 600km (373 miles), Mexican authorities said on Thursday.The findings follow weeks of controversy in Mexico over how the spill, which was first reported in early March off the coasts of Veracruz and Tabasco states, has been handled.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Mexico’s oil industry faces new pressures from Venezuela oil under USlist 2 of 4Trump announces new offshore drilling projects despite bipartisan pushbacklist 3 of 4Iran, Nigeria, and Africa’s oil dependencylist 4 of 4Brazil flooding death toll rises to 64 as search efforts continueend of listAlthough authorities ruled out “severe environmental damage”, Oceana, an international organisation focused on ocean conservation, said this week that reports from communities in the area revealed the spill has killed sea turtles, a manatee, and various fish species. About 17 reefs have been reported damaged, the organisation said.Satellite imagery and physical inspections in the affected areas pointed to three sources of the oil spill, Navy Secretary Admiral Raymundo Morales told reporters at the Thursday news conference, adding that the spill point remains active.They included a vessel docked off the coast of the port city of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz; a geological site 8km (5 miles) from the Coatzacoalcos port and known locally as a “chapopotera”; and another natural leak site in the Bay of Campeche.‘Greater flow of contaminants’Morales said the vessel involved has not been identified because 13 ships in the area had not been inspected by early March.However, the natural seeps in the Bay of Campeche are believed to be one of the main sources, he said.“These oil seeps have a constant, natural emission; however, there has been a greater flow of contaminants in the last month,” Morales said.Fisherman Leopoldo Salgado holds clumps of oil residue collected along the shore days after an oil spill in the Mexico" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="4522" data-entity-type="location">Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026 [Felix Marquez/AP]In a separate incident on March 17, residents of the coastal town of Puerto Ceiba said they witnessed an explosion around the Olmeca refinery – owned by state oil company Pemex – after oily water overflowed onto a nearby road. A vehicle passing by exploded as a result, killing five people, according to a Pemex statement last week. There is fear that oysters in the connected Mecoacan lagoon – and the fishermen harvesting them – will be affected.