Wednesday, 26 April 2017 12:05

There Is No Oil On Gran Canaria's Beaches

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This didn't happen in Gran Canaria and there is no oil on the beaches This didn't happen in Gran Canaria and there is no oil on the beaches

You've probably read that a passenger ferry crashed into the harbour wall in Las Palmas this week and that the accident caused an oil spill and closed beaches. Relax, the spill was minor and never came anywhere near ANY of Gran Canaria's beaches.

The ferry definitely crashed into the wall. It was just leaving Las Palmas on its way to Tenerife and suffered a complete electrical blackout halfway through its turn at the harbour mouth. Since the rudder is controlled electronically, the captain couldn't end the turn and the ferry continued on around and hit the wall. 

Contrary to hysterical press reports, nobody was seriously hurt and the ferry electrics came back to life a few minutes later. It went back into port under engine (with a couple tugs on standby just in case the lights went off again). 

Damage to the ferry was superficial but it caused a couple of million euros worth of damage to the harbour and broke a diesel oil pipe.

The diesel in the pipe flowed into the sea and spread out over the surface. The wind and currents took it south down the east coast towards Las Palmas' main desalination plant and local beaches. The plant and east coast beaches between Las Palmas and the airport were closed as a precaution.

 Again, contrary to press reports (just picture the underpaid journo trying desperately to hype the story into enough clicks to earn a dollar) the 'oil spill' was minor and never came ashore: Diesel is a light form of fuel and evaporates quickly. By the time the surface slick had reached the east coast (it went past the desal. plant well offshore) it had evaporated and none of the diesel actually touched any beaches.

The spill has now gone completely and doesn't seem to have affected any of the local wildlife as patrols haven't found any injured seabirds, turtles or dolphins. 

There was NEVER any chance of the diesel reaching south Gran Canaria's resort beaches. 

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Read 9972 times Last modified on Wednesday, 26 April 2017 12:39
Published in News
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Tip of the day

  • Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros
    Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros

    Save money and avoid rip-off bank charges while in Gran Canaria by paying in euros when using your credit or debit card.

    Many bars and restaurants in Gran Canaria, and in almost all European holiday destinations, give you the option of paying in euros or in your home currency. Opting for your own currency, while it may seem like the safer option, can add as much as 5% to the bill as it triggers dynamic currency conversion. 

    DCC basically means that the exchange rate is calculated at point of sale rather than by your bank. It allows you to see the total cost of the transaction in your own currency but adds up to 5% to the total because it uses a terrible exchange rate. 

    Since the extra money is shared between your bank and the merchant, some places will automatically bill you in your own currency and hope you don't notice. You have the legal right to refuse and void the transaction should this happen. 

    ATMs too

    The same applies when taking money out of ATM machines in Gran Canaria (and anywhere in Europe); Always choose the local currency option to avoid losing money to poor exchange rates.

    If you opt for the local currency option, using bank ATMs is often the cheapest and safest way of getting euros in Gran Canaria. It's far safer than having a big pile of euros hidden in your room or tucked into your shorts.

    More details in this Daily Telegraph article.

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