Whitehaven Coastguard Rescue Team was called out to investigate a potential oil slick at St Bees.
The incident was reported by a group of sea kayakers paddling around the headlands near south head. The group spotted what they thought to be an oil slick near the shoreline.
Crew members searched across St Bees’ south head and could not find any signs of the oil slick – but said that changing tide conditions can disperse pollutants quickly, making detection more challenging.
The team added that investigating potential pollution incidents is crucial for protecting the environment.
St Bees Head falls inside the Cumbria Coast Maritime Conservation Zone and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as around 10,000 breeding seabirds nest in the area.
A spokesman for the coastguard said: “Determining responsibility for pollution cleanup can be complex. Identifying the originator of the pollution is key, as they are typically the primary responsible party.
“However, collaboration between various stakeholders such as local authorities, landowners, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is essential to ensure effective clean-up and prevention measures are implemented.”
Coastguard teams have a number of assets in place to deal with maritime pollution incidents.
For major incidents in UK waters, HM Coastguard have a dedicated Boeing 737 aircraft operated by contractor RVL.
The aircraft operates an aerial oil dispersant spray system that sprays plumes down during low altitude passes of a target area.
Dispersants help to break down oil slicks into very small droplets and cause these small droplets to sink into the water column, facilitating the process of biodegradation.
