Spills · mystery_substance

Mystery sheen; 11 nm offshore, la

NOAAORR-8478

issued
2012-07-12 00:00Z
status
cancelled 2012-07-26 00:00Z
self-cancels
2012-07-26 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
Gulf of Mexico
position
29.121, -88.846
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Mystery Sheen; 11 nm Offshore, LA.
11 nm Offshore, LA.
1. On 12JUL12, USCG Sector New Orleans contacted NOAA SSC for support of a mystery sheen reported by a Good Samaritan helicopter at 1410 CDT. The sheen was reported as 15 miles by 0.5 miles and rainbow in color. The reported position is 11 nautical miles east of Redfish Bay and Northeast Pass, east of the Mississippi Delta. It is not known where the reported position is in relation to the entire sheen. The report also claims the sheen to be traveling southwest. An overflight scheduled to investigate the sheen this afternoon was diverted for SAR. USCG is requesting a trajectory for directing an overflight scheduled for tomorrow morning.
2. THREAT: OIL. TAGS: MYSTERY SUBSTANCE.
3. POSITION 29.121N 088.846W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 8478: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/8478

This area · spills & pollution incidents

994 within 180 nm since 1970 · 34 in the last 12 months · 2 in force now

70
75
80
85
90
95
00
05
10
15
20
25
26

Season · when spills & pollution incidents happen here

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

month of issue, all years in the archive

Nearby now · within 120 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.