Aegean Sea

The Greek tanker Aegean Sea had been anchored for three days in the estuary of Ares, after arriving from Sullom Voe (UK) in the North Sea, waiting to unload almost 80,000 tons of oil at the tanker terminal in the port of A Coruña.

On making the manoeuvre to enter the estuary of A Coruña, the sea and wind conditions were very rough, provoking the final turn to fail and causing the ship to crash against the coast, at the foot of the Tower of Hercules, at 4:30 a.m. on 3 December 1992.

It soon broke in two and caught fire, spilling much of its cargo into the sea. Some 300 families from the Adormideras neighbourhood, the closest neighbourhood, were evacuated that night. This shipwreck caused the second major oil slick suffered in these estuaries (A Coruña, Betanzos, and Ferrol) after the one caused by the Spanish oil tanker Urquiola (12 May 1976). The action of the sea and the cleaning tasks have allowed the area to fully recover.

With a crew of 28 people, there were no casualties in this shipwreck thanks to the intervention of rescue helicopters and the action of the Red Cross of the Sea vessel Blanca Quiroga.

Partially scrapped, there are still remains that make the wreck a popular dive site. On land, the Aegean Sea’s anchor can be seen at the entrance of the Aquarium Finisterrae (A Coruña).

Characteristics

Type: double hull OBO (oil or bulk solids transport) tanker. Characteristics: diesel, 16 knots. 53,964 TRB. Hull: steel, 261.02 metres length by 40.67 metres beam, 15.93 metres maximum draft 26,100 BHP and 114,000 tons deadweight. Built: 1973, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, No. 232 (Japan). Shipowner: Aegean Sea Traders Corp., Argostoli. Load: 79,341 tons of Brent Blend oil (light crude).