The danger to migrating whales and turtles posed by a massive oil spill off the Kimberley coast, located in the northern part of Western Australia has been exposed by a satellite tracking and aerial surveys. Oil and gas has been leaking from a faulty cement well on the West Atlas rig, about 250km off the far north Kimberley coast, since last week.The spill is creeping towards the coastline.

The rig is thought to have been leaking about 470,000 litres of oil a day since the accident and despite assurances from the Federal Government and the rig's operator, PTTEP that the slick is drifting away from the coast, a whale and her calf have been spotted alongside oil on the shore side of the rig. Strong ocean currents and wind are thought to have moved the slick towards land. If it keeps flowing for the next seven to eight weeks, it is inevitable that oil will come ashore. The Government-run Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is managing the clean-up, has labelled it one of the worst spills to affect the WA coast. Legal action against PTTEP will not be ruled out.

The Kimberley coastline is a 'marine superhighway' used by 19 species of whales and dolphins, sea snakes, birds and fish.