Santa Barbara oil spill: 7 aerial photos that show the fallout - Los Angeles Times
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Santa Barbara oil spill: 7 aerial photos that show the fallout

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With as much as 105,000 gallons of oil spilled off the Santa Barbara County coast this week, waters are topped by a slick and splotched with black, and some nine miles of shoreline is sullied. These aerial photos show some of the effects.

Oil fouls beaches, water and kelp forests

The oil spill fouls the waters and a kelp forest on May 20 as a cleanup effort continued along the coast in Santa Barbara County.

The oil spill fouls the waters and a kelp forest on May 20 as a cleanup effort continued along the coast in Santa Barbara County.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Cleanup worker confronts blobs of oil

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Oil spill cleanup and containment effort continues on the shore near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Oil spill cleanup and containment effort continues on the shore near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

(Brian van der Brug)

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Sheen reflects off oil-flecked water, oil-soaked kelp

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Boats deploy oil boom to help contain spilled material

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Oil booms are deployed offshore as cleanup and containment effort continues on the beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Oil booms are deployed offshore as cleanup and containment effort continues on the beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

(Brian van der Brug)

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Oil stains the shore near Refugio State Beach

Oil stains on the shore near Refugio State Beach near Santa Barbara. A fisherman has filed suit against the operator of the pipe that burst in May.

Oil stains on the shore near Refugio State Beach near Santa Barbara. A fisherman has filed suit against the operator of the pipe that burst in May.

(Brian van der Brug)

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Pelicans fly over murky, shiny water

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Pelicans fly above oil soaked kelp and oil sheen on the ocean as cleanup and containment effort continues in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Pelicans fly above oil soaked kelp and oil sheen on the ocean as cleanup and containment effort continues in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

(Brian van der Brug)

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

The drive along the coast overlooks the dark spill

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Oil soaked kelp and oil sheen on the shoreline as cleanup effort continues on the beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015: Oil soaked kelp and oil sheen on the shoreline as cleanup effort continues on the beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 20, 2015. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

(Brian van der Brug)

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

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Full coverage: Oil spill off Santa Barbara County

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