Spills

Sebastian inlet, florida

Tar Balls; Sebastian Inlet, Florida · NOAAORR-6633

issued
1988-11-17 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1988-12-01 00:00Z
self-cancels
1988-12-01 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
North Atlantic Ocean
position
27.865, -80.457
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Tar Balls; Sebastian Inlet, Florida.
Sebastian Inlet, Florida.
1. On November 17, 1988, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO), Miami, received a report of an oil spill at Sebastian Inlet in Martin County, Florida. The spill was described as a slick of tar balls measuring 50 feet wide by approximately five miles long, offshore of the inlet and trailing southeast with some tar balls already on the beach. MSO personnel on a Coast Guard Auxiliary overflight confirmed the report of tar balls two miles north of the inlet and sighted a scattered slick six miles offshore covering approximately four square miles and trailing in a southeasterly direction. USCG district 7.
2. COMMODITY: OIL.
3. POSITION 27.865N 080.457W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6633: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6633

This area · spills & pollution incidents

183 within 180 nm since 1978 · 1 in the last 12 months · 0 in force now

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Nearby now · within 120 nm

Nothing else in force within 120 nm.

Worldwide now

7 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.