![A wave crashes over the bow of the stricken Bahamas registered tanker Prestige, loaded with 77,000 tonnes of fuel oil, drifts powerless off northwestern Spain November 14, 2002. The tanker spilled tonnes A wave crashes over the bow of the stricken Bahamas registered tanker Prestige, loaded with 77,000 tonnes of fuel oil, drifts powerless off northwestern Spain November 14, 2002. The tanker spilled tonnes](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D3WN12/a-wave-crashes-over-the-bow-of-the-stricken-bahamas-registered-tanker-prestige-loaded-with-77000-tonnes-of-fuel-oil-drifts-powerless-off-northwestern-spain-november-14-2002-the-tanker-spilled-tonnes-of-fuel-oil-into-the-sea-leaving-a-slick-over-200-metres-wide-and-30-kilometres-long-as-rescue-services-battled-to-tow-it-further-out-to-sea-twenty-four-crew-members-were-airlifted-to-safety-yesterday-reutersmiguel-vidal-ph-2D3WN12.jpg)
A wave crashes over the bow of the stricken Bahamas registered tanker Prestige, loaded with 77,000 tonnes of fuel oil, drifts powerless off northwestern Spain November 14, 2002. The tanker spilled tonnes
![ESA - Part of an oil slick of several kilometers follows the stricken Bahamas-flagged Prestige oil tanker ESA - Part of an oil slick of several kilometers follows the stricken Bahamas-flagged Prestige oil tanker](https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2002/11/part_of_an_oil_slick_of_several_kilometers_follows_the_stricken_bahamas-flagged_prestige_oil_tanker/9175389-5-eng-GB/Part_of_an_oil_slick_of_several_kilometers_follows_the_stricken_Bahamas-flagged_Prestige_oil_tanker_pillars.jpg)
ESA - Part of an oil slick of several kilometers follows the stricken Bahamas-flagged Prestige oil tanker
![Volunteers clean an oil stained beach at Carnota on the northwestern coast of Spain December 23, 2002. Several hundred kilometers of coastline have been coated in oil sludge from the stricken Prestige Volunteers clean an oil stained beach at Carnota on the northwestern coast of Spain December 23, 2002. Several hundred kilometers of coastline have been coated in oil sludge from the stricken Prestige](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D395C1/volunteers-clean-an-oil-stained-beach-at-carnota-on-the-northwestern-coast-of-spain-december-23-2002-several-hundred-kilometers-of-coastline-have-been-coated-in-oil-sludge-from-the-stricken-prestige-tanker-which-continues-to-leak-its-cargo-from-the-depths-of-the-ocean-floor-reutersmarcelo-del-pozo-mdpjv-2D395C1.jpg)