An oil slick advances over the crystal-clear waters of the island of Mauritius, famous for its paradisiacal beaches, after a ship laden with oil sank and unleashed what environmentalists already consider one of the worst environmental crises in the history of this African country.
“It is one of the most serious ecological disasters on the island and has already occurred in the largest lagoon and one of the most beautiful in the country,” said Mokshanand Sunil Dowarkasing, environmental adviser in Mauritius and former head of strategies for the environmental protection organization Greenpeace Africa.