Spills

Santa cruz, california

Apex Houston; Santa Cruz, California · NOAAORR-5001

issued: 1986-02-02 00:00Z
status: cancelled 1986-02-16 00:00Z
self-cancels: 1986-02-16 00:00Z
authority: NOAA OR&R
sea: North Pacific Ocean
position: 36.940, -122.099
source: incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Apex Houston; Santa Cruz, California.
Santa Cruz, California.
1. On February 2, 1986, a California State park ranger notified the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO), Alameda, that approximately 80 oiled birds had come ashore between Monterey and Point Ano Nuevo in the previous few hours. Coast Guard Group Monterey requested the Coast Guard MSO to perform an overflight of the area in an attempt to locate the source of the oil spill. The overflight located a ribbon of oil, 50 meters wide and approximately one nautical mile long, off Point Ano Nuevo, with five-foot wide and six-foot long mats of oil observed 15 miles further north. USCG district 11.
2. COMMODITY: OIL.
3. POSITION 36.940N 122.099W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 5001: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/5001

This area · spills & pollution incidents

255 within 180 nm since 1971 · 13 in the last 12 months · 2 in force now

1900 CA-1, moss landing, ca 95039, USA2026-08-30
32CC+C7 inverness, ca, USA2026-08-21
J444+RW monterey, ca, USA2026-08-13
1809 sunset dr, pacific grove, ca 93950, USA2026-08-07
R685+56 moss landing, ca, USA2026-08-07
841 w brannan island rd, isleton, ca 95641, USA2026-07-31

Season · when spills & pollution incidents happen here

month of issue, all years in the archive

Timeline · 4 messages since 1986-02-01 · closed 1986-03-24

Santa cruz, ca1986-02-01 → 1986-02-15
Santa cruz, california this message1986-02-02 → 1986-02-16
F/V missing between half moon bay and crescent bay; half moon bay, ca1986-02-28 → 1986-03-14
At 0800 on march 10, 1986, anomet metal company employees discovered that four 20,000 gallon tanks had been…1986-03-10 → 1986-03-24

joined by proximity

Nearby now · within 120 nm

1900 CA-1, moss landing, ca 95039, USASpills · 16.9 nm
32CC+C7 inverness, ca, USASpills · 79.8 nm

Worldwide now

8 spills & pollution incidents in force · see all

Spills

Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings. All current spills & pollution incidents →

Not for navigation. This is a re-rendering of an official navigational warning for awareness; mariners must use official NAVAREA broadcasts and their national MSI service.