Duane Tom News Today

Federal sources told The Times this week the displacement is best explained by a ship's anchor dragging across the ocean floor and hooking into the pipeline.

While some cautious optimism has been expressed about the scope of harm to wildlife to date, one official said, "We don’t fully know the magnitude of this spill quite yet.”

The TimesOC newsletter brings you the latest on Orange County from Orange County.

Photos show patches of oil coating the sand, signs warning people to stay off the beach and cleanup contractors in white outfits using skimmers and barriers to try to contain and clean the spill.

Oiled seabirds are often among the earliest victims of a spill because gobs of crude washing up onto the sand and wetlands can clump their feathers together, leaving them chilled by the cold ocean water.

Photos show patches of oil coating the sand, signs warning people to stay off the beach and cleanup contractors in white outfits using skimmers and barriers to try to contain and clean the spill.

Photos show patches of oil coating the sand, signs warning people to stay off the beach and cleanup contractors in white outfits using skimmers and barriers to try to contain and clean the spill.

Photos show patches of oil coating the sand, signs warning people to stay off the beach and cleanup contractors in white outfits using skimmers and barriers to try to contain and clean the spill.

Photos show patches of oil coating the sand, signs warning people to stay off the beach and cleanup contractors in white outfits using skimmers and barriers to try to contain and clean the spill.

Photos show patches of oil coating the sand, signs warning people to stay off the beach and cleanup contractors in white outfits using skimmers and barriers to try to contain and clean the spill.