Twenty vessels fighting it. Commissioner Grover Robinson flew over the area in an ECSO helicopter. Pensacola Beach appeared clear. There were orange patches in Pensacola Bay near the Ranger station. Boats were skimming it up. Sheen was spotted in Pensacola Bay south of the Palafox Pier. Robinson said that it’s believed the sheen will evaporate as the heat hits it.
Big Lagoon looked fine, except for a few orange patches at the mouth.
Perdido Bay has a bigger problem. The orange patches of oil are much more pervasive. Robinson said he saw many more boats there, but more skimmers are needed.
Robinson said that better coordination with Unified Command and BP is needed. ECSO has offered to use helicopters for spotting.
The commissioner also said that in the Gulf of Mexico he saw healthy marine life. Several pods of dolphins feeding, schools of fish, a large shark. He said that it was very encouraging.
