Spills

Chesapeake bay, virginia

T/s Sea King; Chesapeake Bay, Virginia · NOAAORR-6627

issued
1988-10-24 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1988-11-07 00:00Z
self-cancels
1988-11-07 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
North Atlantic Ocean
position
37.047, -76.119
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

T/S SEA KING; Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
1. Just after midnight on October 24, 1988, the 850-foot tank ship SEA KING, carrying 20,000,000 gallons of Arabian crude oil, ran aground at the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk, Virginia. Although three-fourths of the vessel length was aground on the mud/sand bottom, refloating was expected to occur without incident. On the third attempt, five tugs helped refloat the SEA KING at 0645 on October 25, 1989. No pollution to the environment occurred. The vessel proceeded to the Sewell's Point anchorage for a bottom survey. USCG district 5.
2. COMMODITY: ARABIAN CRUDE OIL. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 20000000 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 37.047N 076.119W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6627: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6627

This area · spills & pollution incidents

376 within 180 nm since 1975 · 6 in the last 12 months · 0 in force now

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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 →

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