Mystery Slick; Off Timbalier island, LA
NOAA initial notification: “At approximately 2:00PM local time, the SSC was notified by USCG MSU Morgan City, LA of a mystery slick seen by a USCG helicopter at approximately 10:00AM local time on July 9, 2009. The slick was reported to be 3 miles by 8 miles and "black" in color. It's reported location was […]”[1]
Latest included source report
Posted 22 Jul 2009
Latest source report
“On Friday, 10 July 2009, the USCG observed what was thought to be the same phenomena or oil slick observed just a couple of days before. No oil was found on the beach from the previous observations. After reviewing the photographs, it was the belief of the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator that the dark area was some type of convergence line of two different waters. There […]” Current outcome is not independently verified by seahazards.[4]
NOAA report chronology
4 dated source records · 9 Jul 2009 to 22 Jul 2009NOAA incident record opened
Initial notification excerpt: “At approximately 2:00PM local time, the SSC was notified by USCG MSU Morgan City, LA of a mystery slick seen by a USCG helicopter at approximately 10:00AM local time on July 9, 2009. The slick was reported to be 3 miles by 8 miles and "black" in color. It's reported location was 29 degrees 02 minutes 46 seconds N, 090 degrees 31 minutes 33 seconds W. No further information was given. A trajectory was requested.”
NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track
Initial incident area only. Dates are NOAA postings, not a vessel track. Playback advances every 5 seconds.
Milestone 1 of 4: 9 Jul 2009. NOAA incident record opened. NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track
NOAA incident record opened
Initial notification excerpt: “At approximately 2:00PM local time, the SSC was notified by USCG MSU Morgan City, LA of a mystery slick seen by a USCG helicopter at approximately 10:00AM local time on July 9, 2009. The slick was reported to be 3 miles by 8 miles and "black" in color. It's reported location was 29 degrees 02 minutes 46 seconds N, 090 degrees 31 minutes 33 seconds W. No further information was given. A trajectory was requested.”
NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track (29.046°, -90.526°)
Update
Source report excerpt: “The initial report made by the USCG helicopter was second hand knowledge passed on to them from a spotter plane used by the local fisherman to spot schools of fish. The USCG is attempting to contact the spotter plane for additional information.”
Update
Source report excerpt: “USCG MSU Morgan City contacted the SSC with additional information at approximately 5:30PM local time. An industry provided overflight did not confirm a slick or sheen in the location previously provided. It did however report a 50% dull sheen 1/2 mile by 3/4 mile 8 miles to the SW of the original report. The leading edge was at 28 degrees 57 minutes 19 seconds N, 090 degrees 40 minutes 00 seconds W. A new trajectory has been requested.”
Follow Up Final Report
Source report excerpt: “On Friday, 10 July 2009, the USCG observed what was thought to be the same phenomena or oil slick observed just a couple of days before. No oil was found on the beach from the previous observations. After reviewing the photographs, it was the belief of the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator that the dark area was some type of convergence line of two different waters. There was some debris along the convergence and some silver sheen. The sheen was far too light to recover, and may have not been from a petroleum source since a USCG transited the area looking for oil and found none. The observed phenomena could actually have resulted from an upwelling event, but will remain a mystery. Charlie […]”
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Details in the record
- Source record
- NOAA IncidentNews 8045[1]
Reading this account
Automatically assembled from NOAA's incident record and substantive Public Affairs or Situation Update posts. Dates are NOAA posting dates, which can differ from when events happened or original reports were published. Excerpts retain the source's wording and uncertainty. This account does not independently establish the cause, current outcome or safety of the area. NOAA coverage is selective; missing updates do not mean nothing happened. The map shows one approximate incident area, not a vessel track.
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Original sources
Timeline updated 20 Sept 2026. New reports and changes to this NOAA incident are incorporated automatically; this is not a live incident feed.
- 1.Mystery Slick; Off Timbalier island, LA ↗NOAA Office of Response and Restoration · 9 Jul 2009
- 2.Update ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 9 Jul 2009
- 3.Update ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 9 Jul 2009
- 4.Follow Up Final Report ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 22 Jul 2009
Related records in our archive
Original source text, preserved separately from this account.
NOAAORR-8045 NOAA response record
Mystery Slick; Off Timbalier island, LA. Off Timbalier island, LA. 1. At approximately 2:00PM local time, the SSC was notified by USCG MSU Morgan City, LA of a mystery slick seen by a USCG helicopter at approximately 10:00AM local time on July 9, 2009. The slick was reported to be 3 miles by 8 miles and "black" in color. It's reported location was 29 degrees 02 minutes 46 seconds N, 090 degrees 31 minutes 33 seconds W. No further information was given. A trajectory was requested. 2. THREAT: OIL. 3. POSITION 29.046N 090.526W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 8045: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/8045Open record and warning history →
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