The 1989 oil spill of the Bahii Paraiso is one of the worst instances of environmental damage in the Antarctic. The supply and tourist vessel ran aground in 1989 near Palmer Station. A 30-foot gash in the hull quickly caused the ship to be abandoned. The accident left 170,000-200,000 gallons of jet and diesel fuel in the ocean.

The spill caused significant harm to the wildlife in the area, including krill and several bird species. Even 1 1/2 years later, a population reduction was observed in gulls, skuas, giant petrels, penguins, and cormorants. It took 3 years for these populations to recover.

The oil spill also disrupted ongoing research about the effects of ozone depletion. The population trends could not be attributed certainly to either the oil spill or the ozone depletion.

In addition to these environmental effects, the 200 people onboard had to be evacuated to Palmer (which usually supports only 45 people). This possibility of having to "take care" of shipwrecked tourists is a main concern about increased tourism.

The hulk of the ship has not been removed and can still be seen in Arthur Harbor.

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Sources:

• http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~mmcooper/old%20homepage/classes/touristsout.html
• http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/antarctica2/t_guide/activity_13.html
• http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,957084,00.html

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