what happened

• the Exxon Valdez departed from the Trans-Alaska pipeline terminal at 9:12 pm on march 23rd 1989
• the ship encountered icebergs and then ran aground on Bligh reef at 12:04 am on march 24th 1989
• more than 250,000 barrels of oil were lost in a short period of time
• the oil eventually covered 1300 miles of coastline and 11,000 square miles of ocean
• according to official reports, the ship was carrying approx 55 million Us gallons of oil and around 11 million of these gallons spilled into the prince william sound