Several oil stains appeared on Wednesday afternoon near the beach of El Cabrón, on the island of Gran Canaria, an area known for its diverse marine wildlife and popular with divers.
The origin of the slick is still unclear, although the authorities believe that it probably came from a ship that cleaned out its bilge in the international waters between the islands of Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.
Preliminary damage assessments suggest about one kilometre of coastline is affected by the spill, although bathing areas have apparently not suffered damage. The oil has accumulated mostly in the diving area known as Punta La Sal, which is not accessible from land.