The world has a legacy from its maritime history; sunken vessels from wars, casualties from accidents and storms and abandoned vessels from former marine operations. All have the potential to be environmental “time bombs” if left to their own devices. In recent years there have been a number of operations to investigate and potentially salvage these wrecks, some of which are in increasingly poor condition and beginning to show signs of structural failure. Operations such as the Blucher in Norway, Royal Oak in Scapa Flow, UK, and the Erika in the Bay of Biscay have all presented technological and environmental challenges to salvors. This paper will investigate one such operation that has presented a unique set of challenges, namely the recovery of the fuel oil from a collection of whale catchers abandoned in Grytviken harbour in the South Atlantic. The extreme remoteness of the location has meant that the operation can only be carried out after a number of detailed surveys. The logistics issues of transporting the personnel and the equipment to the island were a major consideration in the planning of the operation. All potential scenarios had to be considered in advance and contingencies put in place since additional or replacement equipment would not be readily available either at a nearby location or within a reasonable timescale. The issues of safety of personnel, access to the vessels and the handling of equipment on to the vessels all had to be addressed. The removal of the oil, its subsequent temporary storage and its ultimate disposal will all be covered in the paper. The whole operation is set against the backdrop of one of the worlds’ wilderness areas which is in the process of being rejuvenated after the ravages of both natural events and manmade activities.

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