This Ship Cost $2.5 Billion in 30 Minutes

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this video and would like to watch more videos from this channel without any ads, consider joining our Patreon. The link is in the description. You can join for free or select a membership with benefits ranging from ad free videos through to early access and live q and a calls. I look forward to meeting you there. www.patreon.com/WaterlineStories

[@aerotube7291]

Always enjoy your vids

[@waterlinestories]

@aerotube7291 Thanks, I really appreciate that

[@JohnSchofield-j4i]

And that, men of the sea, is why you are only permitted 2 beers a day. Random drug tests and breathalyzing, normal. In the day, you never realisedsome of your shipmates drank until you saw them sober. ;-)

[@bimfred]

great synopsis again but I always wish there were graphics that could match your descriptions. The clips you show are almost more distracting than if there were none at all! Find someone who can do cheap graphics and you've got a winner

[@waterlinestories]

@bimfred it’s a constant battle to find the most appropriate images which often don’t exist and showing something so you don’t have to look at my ugly mug all the time.

[@jonathansmyth3064]

I was a kid when this happened. My dad was stationed USCG Valdez. I was 6. He was the storekeeper. I remember going down the harbor and seeing the dead wildlife everywhere. It was one of the saddest events I have ever seen. We weren't allowed to help with the cleaning of animals since I was 6 and my brother was 7. My mother did the grueling task of cleaning birds. She would come home and cry. I never knew the whole story till now. Thank you. I never knew how or why this happened. Once again keep up the amazing investigative research in making these videos.

[@waterlinestories]

I can’t imagine cleaning sea life all day and having to go back and do it all over again for months.

[@jonathansmyth3064]

@waterlinestories it wasn't good at all. It impacted our everyday lives for the remaining of our tour there. We left in 91 to go to Corpus Christie, Texas. She volunteered to do it again after deep water horizon happened. So that's two of the worst spills we have dealt with now.

[@waterlinestories]

My god so these oil spills happen wherever your family settles… 🫣

[@skorza212]

@@jonathansmyth3064 that sucks man. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with him but there’s a Scottish football (soccer) player called Kenny Dalglish who by total bad luck happened to be at 3 of the worst disasters in football, he was a fan at the Ibrox fire in Glasgow, a player at the wall collapse in Heysel in Belgium and a manager during the crush at Hillsborough in Sheffield. I’m not sure I could keep going to games after seeing that much horror.

[@tamisthewizard3199]

Hope your mom is ok. He mentioned all the extremely toxic chemicals used to ‘clean up’ the accident that did affect people.

[@DanielJohnson-ps4xv]

I’m in the petroleum transportation industry and have sailed in and out of Valdez multiple times to load and discharge to a tank farm. This incident has been the cause of many regulations. Double hulls are the requirement now for all tank ships and barges I’m aware of now. Multiple companies ran single hull vessels right up the the deadline . The oil companies will lobby hard for more relaxed regulations. I personally have no issue with being held to high standards on environmental safety.

[@edmctug8800]

Bingo ! OPA 90 came into Affect Double hull Tankers !

[@Ledmaster2]

Same here. There is no comparison to how things were done before the accident and how they are done now. Totally different worlds. But the risk remains and we must always be aware of it.

[@serapeach6252]

too bad y'all weren't held to the high standard before this fuster cluck.

[@daniellassander]

I find your reasoning strange, the oil companies lost a lot of money why would they want to return to running it as high risk with immense added cost in case of a disaster? The actual answer is a little bit more complex, this disaster was due to bad decisions by those in charge at the time, a double hull would also not have stopped the Exxon Valdez spill, it would had done nothing what so ever, as the gauges made by the contact were all well above 3 meters deep into the Exxon Valdez a double hull would had done nothing. Government rules doesnt do anything but they claim to protect us, while in reality all they do is make us poorer. Because we the consumers have to pay for that double hull in the end. Sure its less then a cent per gallon of petrol, but these things stack up. The question you have to ask yourself is this: does Exxon Valdez wants to make money or lose money. If you side on the lose money side then yes your reasoning works out, otherwise it doesnt. They lost a crap-ton of money from this disaster, do they want to keep on doing that? Then yes your reasoning works out. Otherwise it doesnt work out, they would have wanted to sell that oil and made a lot of money. They didnt want this accident to happen no more then we do, they wanted to make money so they wanted to sell the oil, what they got was a horrible disaster with extreme costs they had to pay.

[@jimreeves1954]

​@@daniellassanderagreed and shit happens, why do governments always benefit from the disaster, what do they do with the money from the astronomical fines, I can assure you it goes in one way or another into their own benefits and interests l

[@jda7499]

Hi there, I actually sailed on the Exxon Valdez then named “ S/R Mediterranean “ and then “ Mediterranean “ as Chief Mate in 2006 and also docked her in Dubai. I was a ExxonMobil Cadet in 1995 and she was transferred from the US fleet to Asia Fleet in 2003. The chair used by the Captain was locked up in the Bridge aft locker and still remains there since 1986. One of the most different ships i have sailed on - built in 1986 in USA and only ever meant to trade Alaska - California she was difficult to load and discharge in conventional ports being having the Ring Main System of crude oil tanker piping. She was finally scrapped in 2009/10 not sure of the year but in China. Rgds Capt JD

[@waterlinestories]

Always good to hear more little details. Thanks for sharing

[@WoWSoka]

as someone who spent 10 years of my life working for ExxonMobil i can confirm that the company still internally blames "a drunk sailor" for the Exxon Valdez when the reality of the situation is Exxon had very shady company practices, pushed crews too hard, demanded too much, and cut too many corners. something was bound to break and this was the result.

[@TexasBarnRats]

And that lead shady character was Frank Iarossi. After Exxon fired him, everywhere he went afterward, large maritime accidents followed him. It's amazing how most of these big accidents mostly stopped all the sudden once he retired.

[@Texaca]

... that's the mentality and culture of #PredatoryCapitalists, and it's infiltrated every level of Government in the U.S. 🇺🇸 ...and globally 🌎

[@MothKeeper]

從來沒有煮過沙子來做腳...但我看到人們用奶油鴨毛來搞笑...只是被告知天空很快就會結束。

[@AKUSUXs]

He wa cleared of the being intoxicated charge. However, I also thought that the captain had sleep apnea, or sleep deprivation was a contributing factor.

[@Ledmaster2]

​@@TexasBarnRatsHe was a other student of the jack Welsh school of buisness. IE treat people like garbage and do short term profit at the cost of ruining your company long term. Most of those guys ultimately ended up failing out of the corporate world, but not before costing more lives and more damage. See the former CEO of Boeing for details.

[@Meipmeep]

I have friends who are still affected by this in Alaska, it’s shameful that people who were kids when it happened are still suffering the consequences

[@crissd8283]

Just curious how?

[@Meipmeep]

@@crissd8283 they still clean globs of oil off the beaches, the cannery on land was closed in favor of clean boats putting families out of work, the wildlife is still recovering…… it’s sad really.

[@vf12497439]

Little ironic that Joseph Hazelwood, the drunk captain of the Exon Valdez passed away from cancer in July 2022. A year ago at the age of 75. To be a captain on a ship and to get intoxicated is not a novel situation. It becomes a problem if your ship runs aground. People have a drink when they think they are safe to do so. I doubt he drank in the middle of the day. Sadly his reputation was destroyed because of a bad decision and a bad day.

[@bluewaters3100]

@@Meipmeep And like they mentioned at the end..many workers were contaminated by the chemicals used to disperse the oil and ended up with cancer and ill health. I can see how horrible this would be for the kids of these families.

[@MothKeeper]

從來沒有煮過沙子來做腳...但我看到人們用奶油鴨毛來搞笑...只是被告知天空很快就會結束。

[@foximacentauri7891]

It is almost comical how ruthless exon, shell & other oil companies are. Using cheap but risky ship designs, lying about the contamination, delaying fines for so long that they’re worth just a fraction of what they should’ve been.

[@waterlinestories]

And hiking the prices to protect profits.

[@thefinalkayakboss]

And fox news has somehow managed to twist peoples minds up sufficiently that i hear its lobotomite viewers discuss exxon today as if they need our sympathy and support.

[@tamisthewizard3199]

If any of us had oil CEO money I bet we would do the same. edit: Jesus Christ all of you calling me a sociopath, I'm not trying to justify what they do; their businesses do massively harm the environment. I don't think they actively want to hurt the land, especially people, but I believe it's not difficult for them to look the other way when others take shortcuts especially when you aren't the one 'pulling the trigger' if you will from the comfort of an office.

[@waterlinestories]

Maybe. I’ll never know.

[@thatrandomchannel8589]

You have to remember when these ships were made. This was very early in engineering/shipyard tech. Now the ballast tanks are incorporated into double skin design. So the ship can be empty and they can fill the ballast tanks making a better ride in Rough weather.

[@stephenbritton9297]

I've worked with people who had worked on the VALDEZ, but not on at time of the accident, and people who were on the BATON ROUGE. I also did a lot of research into this accident when I was in college. There is SOOO much more. It is likely that Cousins didn't turn the Iron Mike off, and that Kagan (the helmsman) was trying to hand steer while on the autopilot (unlike a plane, manual inputs on a ship do not over ride the auto pilot). As such, all tankers are no required to have an alarm that sounds if you turn the wheel while on autopilot. Hazelwood was a great seaman but not a good manager of people. To him, the maneuver he left Cousins to perform was simple, but he didn't understand that Cousins had limited experience and was extremely fatigued and as such, it was dangerous to leave him alone to conduct the departure.

[@michaelrice500]

Nailed it.

[@vvf1]

The GREED of those people...😮

[@artemishallihan8973]

I appreciate the very subtle shade thrown at the end. Delivered entirely by tone and facts at how much damage Exxon did and how little accountability they took.

[@willpugh8865]

I appreciate the effort you put into your videos , the illustrations, your narration , and neutral unbiased presentation of the facts are top notch keep up the great work

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. I appreciate that.

[@kimmuckenfuss2284]

@@waterlinestories yes, I love the topics you cover. I have the same fascination with these tragedies you cover. Thanks for the quality you put into your work.

[@ssenssel]

Even though I'm old enough to remember Exxon Valdez accident I never knew the details of it. So thanks again for another great video. 👏👏

[@waterlinestories]

👍🏻

[@ComradeCatpurrnicus]

It's disgusting how much exploitation, suffering, and destruction comes out of corporate greed and those in power unwillingly to regulate them. It doesn't matter to them how many lives are lost and mistreated, it doesn't matter to them if they're making the planet unlivable. All they care about are profits.

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

what have you done to counter it?

[@ComradeCatpurrnicus]

@@thewhitefalcon8539 I'm one individual going up against very powerful interests and systems rooted in corruption. Even with many other individuals that feel the same way, we don't have much power outside of advocacy and fighting for less exploitation of the planet and the workers who make our economies run by trying to get people to vote out those that continue letting broken and corrupt systems fester while lives are lost, democracies are eroded, and our planet is made uninhabitable for us and other creatures.

[@raytracer9064]

​@@thewhitefalcon8539your mom alexc, your mom

[@nebulous426]

@@thewhitefalcon8539 Just one hundred (100) companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions of greenhouse gasses. The lie that capitalism wants you to believe is that you as an individual are responsible for rapid climate change, and not them. When you pose questions like this one, you are honking your clown nose.

[@aceous99]

​@@thewhitefalcon8539don't vote Republican for starters

[@georger9]

Loving the "actual imagery" tags on some of the clips. Really adds to the immersion :)

[@waterlinestories]

Good to hear. People have been asking for it.

[@georger9]

@@waterlinestories I fully agree. On some of the older videos it was sometimes difficult to differentiate the authentic footage from stock footage. A great change :)

[@jedsudweeks6676]

11:37 NOT actual imagery of the Valdez spill. The aircraft shown wasn't built until 2009. The photo was from the BP spill in the Gulf from 2010.

[@jacekatalakis8316]

And in the early 90s, or mid 90s, the Unabomber took out someone who helped Exxon with their PR as well after this incident as well, and cited this as the reason why, IIRC

[@todd3285]

Yup !! He scared the crap out of alot of A-holes . I wonder what his thoughts would have been about these A-holes developing A.I. ??

[@difdaf436]

I genuinely love when a new video on your channel shows up on my feed.. your story telling skills and your knowledge on diving and all things around that topic make the videos so much more informative.. thanks for all the great content 👍

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for saying so. I really appreciate that

[@MothKeeper]

從來沒有煮過沙子來做腳...但我看到人們用奶油鴨毛來搞笑...只是被告知天空很快就會結束。

[@MegaReception1]

I worked at Petro Terminal de Panama where the Exxon Valdez was headed to offload it's crude. The captain of this tanker was a well known drinker, he always had a taxi waiting for him when his ship came in. Basically he'd tie up his boat and go out to town and come back just before sailing. So there you go. All that responsibility and doing that !

[@waterlinestories]

Like So many of the old salty seadogs

[@MrViki60]

hella based

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

What's wrong with a little liqueur to wet the whistle?

[@bdickinson6751]

@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 Really???

[@csn6234]

​@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24nothing at all, so long as it doesn't lead to one of the world's worst manmade ecological disasters ever.

[@Ted_II]

It's become clear to me from watching these videos that the problem is not that we need to "just stop oil" but that the problem is cascading negligence by operators and decision-makers leading to catastrophic failures. The problem is largely complacency and negligence. "Every catastrophic event is preceded by a cascading series of failures." -Dale McConnell

[@timverrecchia1654]

when these cascading set of failures are because a company cut corners then its not always the operators fault. unfortunately companies are incentivised to cut production costs as much as possible and maximise profits which often leads to easily preventable disasters, or turns it into a ticking time bomb just waiting to happen. what needs to change are the laws, however a lot of these companies have been lobbying for years to keep out of date profitable legislation/regulations in and to not vote for things which reduce profit. for example the minimum wage in America is notoriously low and there has been lobbying for some time to keep it that way. not to mention the horrific worker rights compared to Europe.

[@m118lr]

THE problem HAS ALWAYS BEEN the negligence AND complacency, NOT the actual use of ‘fossil fuels’. WE, OUR COUNTRY..AND the world would never had gotten MUCH past the ‘discovery of FIRE’ as neanderthals..cave men (a little attempt @ humor but even I find it falls short I suppose), and if you REALLY THINK about it you’ll know I might be simplifying it quite a bit but not that far off either..

[@timverrecchia1654]

@@m118lr well no, nowa days fossil fuels are the problem we need renewable clean sources

[@benjurqunov]

But why is it cascading shouldn't be any reason for Exxon to deny special homosexual special rights ? They're not mexicans !

[@evanhenderson9461]

it's both.

[@jbusta8548]

Valdez is the gift that keeps on giving

[@ColonelSandersLite]

Don't worry. Kevin Costner blew it all up so it won't be bothering anybody anymore.

[@aina7313]

This will be exciting. Thank you for the time you put in making these

[@waterlinestories]

My pleasure, Thanks watching

[@spencerkleiman5035]

Who tf comments before watching

[@sykoteddy]

Watching a lot of these short documentaries only makes me come to conclude what I sadly already knew, the more money and power you have, the more you are pushing for. No matter if it is a company or a person.

[@jimwright1148]

I worked on the repair of the Sea Empress in Belfast dry dock in 1996 or1997,it ran aground off the Welsh coast, it is amazing the damage Mother Nature can do to 1 inch steel! Was absolute carnage under the waterline most of the bow was gone(it was held in place by steel beams welded onto hull and onto plates on the dock floor!)inside the tanks huge beams crushed and looked like a Cadbury’s flake! The only reason they repaired it was the screw was not damaged.

[@ligmasack9038]

No, they repaired that vessel because it was CHEAPER TO REPAIR THAN BUILD A NEW ONE! Really calls into question your "Experience" when you can't even figure out the basic Economics behind those kinds of Decisions...

[@jimwright1148]

@@ligmasack9038 yes,the screw is very expensive.

[@The.Enmikelopedia]

To reference my comment from a couple vids ago… this is the perfect balance of causes/context, effects and aftermath for this type of video. Great video man, keep up the great work!!

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks I appreciate that 🤜🏻

[@beverlyreiner-baillargeon6205]

I remember watching this on tv while we were stationed in Germany. Another fantastic video from my favorite site. Y'all are awesome 😉😉

[@waterlinestories]

Where in Germany were you stationed?

[@beverlyreiner-baillargeon6205]

@@waterlinestories Erlanghen, North of Nuremberg and South of Frankfort. Lots of fun in the 80's

[@loginavoidence12]

thanks for the red arrow on the thumbnail i almost missed that tiny breech on the tanker hull

[@waterlinestories]

Just gotta be sure 🤣

[@mikeomaly]

I remember when that happened. I was a little kid. It was a huge deal at the time!

[@zimmerman1031]

Infuriating. These companies are untouchable.

[@BleachDemon99]

My mates dad had an old Post office van, the thing blew black smoke, leaked oil and the last 4 digits were 3 XON. we called it the Valdez 😂

[@crystalm4324]

I remember this well from my childhood, the devastation was unprecedented and went far beyond Alaska. The far reaching effects of that spill will take centuries to recover from and dozens have been added since.

[@papabits5721]

You've worked your way up from deckhand to mate and now your a captain! It's MILLER TIME.

[@alexnekrasov628]

😂

[@como1016]

The Actual Imagery label is something your other videos have been missing, it helps with the clarity and credibility

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. Yes I think so. I’ve been asked to label footage in a number of videos. Trying to listen and improve as we go.

[@s.sradon9782]

Can we take the moment to note how the captain sounds like he's on the brink of death by exhaustion.

[@Floydian4everr]

Been out on the town drinking

[@hamza.-]

This channel has some of the best well made and well narrated content, unfortunately I have already watched every video so we wait for the next one hahaha

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks 👍🏻

[@stellaluna6421]

Really liked the labels showing which pictures were real and which were representative!

[@raymaharaj4502]

You are a very good storyteller my friend!

[@ianpunter4486]

I was D.O.P. on the BBC/HBO movie version of the incident. Some of the footage in the Exxon Valdez bridge is taken from that movie. Sadly, we used 16mm film, and it really shows its age. The whole movie, starring Christopher Lloyd and John Heard, can be found on KZbin, albeit in 5 or 6 chunks.

[@WootTootZoot]

The greed and hubris of that company, to this day, is nothing short of being massively stunning.

[@robynpicknell7801]

Hi Waterline Stories. Have you considered making a video about the SAS Drakensberg and how it lost one of its anchors in False Bay and the story of how the finally found and recovered it. Or how about when a member of the Drakensberg crew went overboard one night while at sea and the search to find him(I don't think they did, if I remember correctly.). Thank you for all your hard work on these videos.

[@waterlinestories]

Hey. I can’t say I’m familiar with the lost anchor. Do you have a link to the story? A quick Google search doesn’t bring up anything. But I’m based in Germany so sometimes it doesn’t find the regional stories.

[@robynpicknell7801]

The anchor happened in the late 1990's, probably 1997 or 1998. Try searching for the "Cape Times" newspaper or the "False Bay Echo" local newspaper, I think they did a story about it. Damn, just tried looking for it and couldn't find it either, not change on the South African navy site. I clearly remember one of their ships lost an anchor in the late 1990's because I was in the navy at the time, but I was in a short base. It was either the SAS Drakensberg or the SAS Tafelberg. They were the 2 biggest ships we had back then and they both had a port and a starboard anchor. Once they recovered the anchor and chain, you could see which one had been sitting on the ocean floor for a few months as it was clearly very discolored compared to the other one. I am based in England now and have sadly lost touch with my former crew mates so no longer have any contacts in the navy either. I can't think of any other way to find the information. I am very sorry I can't help more.

[@joaquimioakim229]

Hi mate, have you ever heard of the Marchioness incident? It was a party / disco boat on the river Thames in central London, quite a common site in the eighties , and always thought to be relatively safe due to its proximity to the bank side. A much bigger boat, like some sort of cargo boat came trundling through, and rammed it, the Marchioness was in full swing with people partying away. The Marchioness capsized, it was probably less than a hundred metres from either bank of the Thames. Passers by from the roads made their way to the riverside to help survivors out, but the tide was quite strong. Over fifty people died, because of the rivers tidal flow not all the bodies were found straight away, they washed up or stream by the tide, If I remember rightly the police divers found bodies that did not even belong to the Marchioness, probably suicides.

[@bustabloodvessel5327]

Just for context the oil price in 2007 fluctuated between $72 a barrel and $99 a barrel which would mean that a single load on a ship like the Exxon Valdez would be worth between $105 million and $150 million. A $2.5 Billion settlement is a joke. It's on a par with a normal person getting a $50 fine for causing multiple deaths by dangerous driving.

[@DOWNTOWN_AUDIO]

I love your channel man, honestly thought you were somebody else that i had already subbed to and then i realized after watching your vids for a while that i hadnt subscribed yet! Youve earned my viewership! Keep up the good work man!

[@seankarl8414]

I click on your videos so fast man, whenever I see them pop up. You come across as such a polished presenter so I was shocked to see that you only recently started making this sort of content. Happy to be a long for the ride man, keep it up.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. I’ve had another channel before making how to scuba dive videos. But it’s not done as well as this channel. Thanks for taking this journey with me.

[@nervsouly]

This video is but another reminder how our world is not ruled by governments, but by megacorporations.

[@spikenomoon]

Ya about 7 of them. All owned by the same families. All pagans and full of darkness.

[@spikenomoon]

@@user-zp6ff2gr4n The council of 13. Trillionairs witch families Not a joke. John Todd. Documentary

[@Pewnhound112]

That last statement makes me beyond incensed. Like curious. It’s very, very warm where those guys will end up

[@deanedeane4318]

Thankyou for such a clear account of this shameful negligent disaster. And why am I not surprised at your last comment ? In the oil industry 2.5 billion is mere lunch money .........

[@TexasBarnRats]

Good video, but you totally left out a HUGE factor: US Coast Guard VTS. There were 2 factors involving VTS: 1) The outermost 15 or so miles of the radar range for the brand new VTS radar system would "blank out" from time to time for absolutely no reason. The new VTS radar was acting up that night, and Bligh reef was in that blank spot. Of course, the VTS watch stander would not have been able to observe the E/V's perilous course and subsequently order a course correction...had he been at his station. 2) Even if the radar was working properly that night, it still wouldn't have mattered because the VTS watch stander was outside smoking cigarettes in the time leading up to grounding. The first FOSC / 17th CG District Commander (I can't remember his name now) knew about this and sat on the info, keeping it hidden. That admiral was later replaced by the no-nonsense RADM David Ciangcaglini who turned that response operation around. I don't recall when the VTS info was finally released...getting old stinks. I was DEEPLY involved with that operation for nearly 2 years, both in the field and eventually as the FOSC Field Advisor.

[@jefpanisi3764]

MST1 Rainsford was also, three years.

[@richardrichard508]

Good to hear more of the context of what actually happened. Unless one was there in any accident, everything else is specualtion and blame is often wrongly aportioned.

[@jefpanisi3764]

Rear Admiral David Ciancaglini was spelled wrong... No worries. MST1 Rainsford spoke with the VTS (vessel traffic system) watch- stander on duty when the accident happened. MST1 Rainsford was told that the VTS installation was not reliable for navigation, only for communication between incoming and existing vessels. This would prevent the 3 million gallon bunker "C" spill that occurred as a result of a ship-to-ship collision in San Francisco previously. MST1 Rainsford was disappointed in CBS when they found a Navy Admiral which measured the charted width of the shipping lanes and declared that the more than 9 mile width of the channel should have been easy to traverse. Dan Rather never informed the viewers that the Columbia Glacier had calved ice that reduced the shipping lanes to 1.5 mile total. The VTS's radar system was not ice reliable. Still, the grounding should not have happened.

[@jeanninerussell2672]

There also was rough weather, a marker buoy was malfunctioning, and the Coast Guard failed to monitor and communicate ships actual progress as it was deviating. Yes, strategies were in place, but a series of failures led to the disaster. The captain and crew were also exhausted.from 14:43 being on duty during the 24 hour loading of the ship in very cold, rough weather.

[@EndrChe]

It’s never a question of if, but always a question of _when_ is the catastrophic disaster is going to happen.

[@waterlinestories]

Yep. Just had titan so maybe that holds us for a minute

[@rizzorizzo2311]

Especially with how often we give these companies opportunities to cut corners and do risky shit. People complain about regulation but left to their own devices these companies would absolutely get away with doing as little as they can to ensure environmental and human safety.

[@dominickvaldez7719]

Wow... Amazing.... Proud family Valdez... I discover

[@ixxxxxxx]

wow that line at the end. they paid off the lawsuit in 2 days, makes you think love the vids

[@waterlinestories]

Yep sometimes the perspectives are all skewed.

[@TTFerdinand]

When you pay less to your team of lawyers in 20 years than you would to the victims without appealing then it's all worth it. In the company's perspective. It's all about the money. It's like a glass ceiling of empathy: people who would have the decency to pay up if they mess up never rise to a position to be able to mess up that big in the first place.

[@carbonsx3]

@@waterlinestories I agree and I think the miniscule fines and minimal consequences for these companies is disgusting, but revenue is not profit. They could not pay off the fine with the revenue of two days. That being said they, without a doubt, should have been required to pay the full original amount in a timely manner.

[@gextreme2381]

​@@carbonsx3Agree... The profit that year was around 35 billion, roughly 18 biliion from oil. So, so yes, they got off easy. Could have easily afforded the original 5 billion. scumbags.

[@kartyl1wielki]

I'm so glad I found your channel - currently binge watching it. Your narration is very engaging, usage of actual photos is a proof that you want to show and not only tell. Also, the editing is pro-level like. Please keep uploading!

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for the encouragement. 👍🏻

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

5:56 Cousins sounds like an awesome guy to work with!

[@waterlinestories]

He got you

[@fishheds]

I was on the Baton Rouge. We tied up alongside the Valdez after they ran aground. The helmsman really should have been investigated. Trust me

[@B1UK]

Mate I been here since day 1 every video gets liked straight away before even watching I could sit hours watching please keep doing what you’re doing I sit watching on my tv chilling. Never give you the praise you deserve it’s such a niche that you’ve nailed.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. I’d say welcome aboard but sounds like you’ve been stowaway since the beginning. I really appreciate you being on this journey with me. 👌🏻

[@B1UK]

@@waterlinestories anytime mate keep at it. Appreciate the effort put in at the beginning seems like it’s picking up and there’s plenty of content at the minute. Look after yourself 👍🏽

[@DawidUliczny-ro7eo]

I was a child when this happened but never forgot the harrowing pictures of wild life caked in black tar. I didn't even probably know what oil was but even to 5 year old it was evident that something went VERY wrong.

[@waterlinestories]

Yes incredibly sad to think of all the innocent lives that are destroyed through no fault of their own.

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

But they never told you you caused this, did they? Every time you drive the car to school, a bird gets drowned in tar. That's the thing. We all don't think we caused this.

[@DawidUliczny-ro7eo]

@@thewhitefalcon8539 Sure, buddy. You feeling ok?

[@darkySp]

@@thewhitefalcon8539 You cannot blame the consumer for the ignorance of the producers. People depend on cars. In some places, less so that other. But we NEED biofuels, we simply can't transition to renewables yet. When I drive my car, I cause emissions. Small emissions in the grand scheme of things. I did not sink a whole tanker worth of crude oil into open waters. Exxon did that, not me.

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

@@darkySp Every time you vote for car-dependency policies you vote for tankers of crude oil sunk in open waters.

[@crabby7668]

It looks like some of the measures used to clean up were almost as bad as the oil. The dispersant seems to just be about hiding the oil rather than treating it. The burning would give the modern eco zealot the conniptions. Hopefully things have improved since then.

[@Strype13]

If a guy has had multiple DUIs for drinking and driving to the point where his license has been revoked (after being suspended multiple times), why the hell would he be trusted to captain a massive oil tanker? If someone can't control their alcohol addiction enough to maintain a driver's license, they most definitely shouldn't have full control and/or be in charge of a humongous ocean liner. That's obviously a catastrophe waiting to happen.

[@BGone-mb7wz]

It needs to be viewed through 'eyes of the time's - there was no internet, or way to make those connections without specifically looking for such information.

[@Dirk80241]

Such a terrible disaster! Not only the damage caused to the coastal wildlife, but also the health injuries to the cleanup crews caused by the chemicals, and on top of that, making the coastal communities wait 20 years for compensation. This is shameful.

[@Morpheus187]

I saw the Valdez in dry dock in San Diego in 1986 right next to the USN Hospital ship mercy never thought this would happen. Didn’t enter my mind.

[@krisflood5734]

Fun fact- she ended up back in the same dry dock 10 years later. I was working at NASSCO during the hull repairs/conversion.

[@daleslover2771]

Excellent reporting on this accident, it took 2 decades for restitution, for the clean up crews,it makes me wonder how many persons were effective by this? And how many passed away. May I suggest that you do a deep research report on the 73/74 gas crunch, where gas was double in a year.I remember back in 1972 gas was going for 21 cents a gal at most gas stations, then in 74 it's was up to 60 cents a gal. I don't think 1 out of 10,000 drivers know what really happened. Now you look at the price, what's the real truth, can you find it? It will be one outstanding video.

[@BigHouse907]

I was a responder. On the flight from Anchorage to Valdez, it was so sad to sea the entirety of Prince William Sound overwhelmed with oil. The Exxon Valdez was eventually freed from Bligh Reef and towed to Naked Island where it remained moored until temporary repairs could be made to make it seaworthy. A little trivia: the two biggest disasters in Alaska both happened on Good Friday. The 1964 earthquake and exactly 25 years later the Exxon Valdez oil spill. 😮

[@WorldwideWyatt]

The modern wave of environmentalism kinda started with the Exxon Valdez, the devastating effects on the surrounding areas was broadcast on the nightly news like war coverage.

[@bluewaters3100]

Actually I remember environmental concerns when the Alaska pipeline was being built. I lived in Anchorage then and it was like a gold rush hit town. Everyone aI knew was headed up to the North Slope to make their fortunes. The town totally changed and new stores went up almost overnight. I personally liked the old "Anchorage that I grew up in, but progress marches forward.

[@hansmater3343]

The last minute brought tears to my eyes. It's unbelievable how we let people who act like this run the entire world

[@-Eternal-Damnation-]

I absolutely love your videos mate. Even when the subject matter is as bleak as this is

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks I appreciate that

[@ludicambience]

It would help a lot of this video contained more images of the actual situation that is described. Actual time of events not only spoken, but visible in the video would make it more easy to watch.

[@justinr9784]

Fantastic work keep it up! I've binged your entire channel!

[@waterlinestories]

🤜🏻 thanks will do

[@alanpengo3335]

Rockefeller and the greedy ceo,s deserve bad karma for their greed and uncaring nature. All lives matter. LOVE AND LIVITY

[@bdjm8595]

I remember this well, it was a sad situation that could have been avoided!!!

[@calebbroday]

The third mates cousins had me all confused for a second. I was like why can't they say his name?

[@PirateZ1]

The images of the animals at the end are haunting. We destroy so much of nature chasing profits with diminishing returns

[@bekaemery2918]

The amount of wildlife that died shocked me. Idk why i hadnt thought about that massive impact it would have. When you were talking about the single hulled ship I thought it was a stupid idea. Turns out it is

[@WatchmakerErik]

Very informative video. I noticed that all the computers pictured in the stock photos are made decades after 1989...

[@fatovamingus]

All that was missing is " Iceberg right ahead!" and "close the watertight doors".

[@tamonettX500]

Smell ice, do ya??

[@thathusk9119]

Hi Waterline Stories: Could you please make a video on the sinking of KRI Nanggala 402? The Indonesian submarine that sank in 2021. It would be great if you could make the video in honor of the 53 sailors lost in this sad incident.

[@waterlinestories]

I’ll put it on the list. Thanks for letting me know.

[@Shipfixer]

I was there. I worked the spill on a fishing vessel that was put into service as a logistics vessel. I remember going into town in Valdez and seeing many stacks of one inch marine grade plywood being cut down the middle with chainsaws and also many Zodiacs (inflatable skiffs) with brand new outboard motors on them taken out and sunk. This was all done by the VECO Corporation who was in charge of the clean up. I later heard they did it for the write-off and so no one else could use it. They got rich on this one, along with a lot of others.

[@lewis7315]

i helped to build, then years later to repair her in San Diego. Her and her sister ships were not cheaply built. They were built according to the laws at the time. She was later resold and carried oil under a foreign flag for years... Two of her sister ships are now the US Navy's hospital ships Comfort and Mercy. Lets not exaggerate things here... the oil spill happened because a crewman missed a turn in an inland waterway channel. All the world"s oil tankers at that time were built just like she was. Pretty much only military ships had double hulls at that time..

[@Morpheus187]

I was in the Navy in those days I saw the Valdez right next to the Mercy.😂1986

[@andyroubik5760]

My wife and I worked on the cleanup. It was extremely disheartening. The Spill happened at extremely high tide so most of the oil was deposited beyond the reach of a typical tide. The mid and lower tide zones we're relatively unaffected. They had us using boiling hot sea water to wash the oil from the highest tide zone down through the varying tide levels where the oil would be collected on the water surface through the use of booms and suction hoses. The result in many areas was that the whole tidal Zone destroyed. Animals killed by the oil we're sometimes left on the beach only to be eaten by other wildlife which subsequently died too. It seemed to us that Exxon was simply spending as much money as they could on the cleanup to be able to report to the American people on how much they spent so that they would be forgiven by the public. I definitely felt like I was taking Blood Money. The whole thing is and was very depressing!

[@valiantsfelinesmccarty6678]

A friend of my husband's did the insurance adjusting against Exxon on this. He said it was horrible. That he knew Exxon was never going to pay for what they done. It was just a documentation he said for the government to squeeze them for a fine that the people would never see. My husband went up and visit him he had moved to Alaska when he was young and felt it was his home he now receives his check for living there more than 20 years.

[@GlennPowell-ls3lg]

I remember the Valdez accident.I also remember the Amaco cadiz accident in the 70,s and there was the famous Torrey Cannyon oil accident in the 60,s off the coast of Cornwall in the uk.The sea is ruthless and a cruel mistress.

[@johnduheaume6650]

Whatever lessons are learnt seem to be soon forgotten.

[@GlennPowell-ls3lg]

@@johnduheaume6650 Because oil is the biggest currency in the world.

[@armandospence-y3b]

Классный канал, от подачи не устаёшь

[@paulnevins8267]

If you look at actual drawings of the large tankers, for trim & stability reasons you might find ships (single or double hull) had port & starboard or port & center & starboard tanks. There would be multiple partitions going down the length of the vessel. Also helpful in the event of a leak or other damage to limit how much would be lost. Many of the smaller tankers 200,000 to 300,000 Bbls sizes of the previous generation of single hulls would be 1 to 11 in P/C/S configuration then 12 as P/S as "slop tanks". Lots of tanks when filling/unloading along with gauges & samples. There might be a video, if you search around a bit talking about the basis for ship designs over the decades (shipyard perspective). It also touched on the double bottom and "split level" tanks (upper vs lower tanks and some mixed - large centre tanks as "odd number" then P/S on the "even number" tanks).

[@Ganiscol]

You can see that in this video at 10:03

[@ken-camo]

i remember this happenin this was HUGE news back in the 90s. I was a kid when this happened.

[@Oo-Pitbull-oO]

I was 5 years old when the Chernobyl reactor melted down, and 8 when the Exxon Valdez disaster happened. I remember them both well.

[@joaquimioakim229]

Hi mate, have you ever heard of the Marchioness incident? It was a party / disco boat on the river Thames in central London, quite a common site in the eighties , and always thought to be relatively safe due to its proximity to the bank side. A much bigger boat, like some sort of cargo boat came trundling through, and rammed it, the Marchioness was in full swing with people partying away. The Marchioness capsized, it was probably less than a hundred metres from either bank of the Thames. Passers by from the roads made their way to the riverside to help survivors out, but the tide was quite strong. Over fifty people died, because of the rivers tidal flow not all the bodies were found straight away, they washed up or stream by the tide, If I remember rightly the police divers found bodies that did not even belong to the Marchioness, probably suicides.

[@BloodRose123100]

What a deeply upsetting story, and thank you for sharing it. I hope it finds its way to more people.

[@Z24BL2]

As long as criminals will stay alive and living very well, it will not change.

[@emekaisuochi368]

Keep up with the good work Love your video, very educating.

[@jackhaypenny5830]

And now... all these years later..the earth has healed itself...

[@FanfictionWoes]

You are criminally underrated ❤️

[@Strangelove657]

Remember stuff like this when the powers that be try and say common people producing to much pollution

[@imeldahiggins-wiffle8302]

From Alaska, born and raised. Most of the people that had their livelihoods ripped away completely that day, died before any legal settlement was reached...this is a tragedy that STILL affects Alaskans and Exxon just goes about their business, making record profit, while Alaskans deal with their BS. Sad.

[@sebasstein7014]

The people who were responsible to drop Corexit into the water should go to prison for life. They literally dropped another different chemical into the water, knowingly that it doesn`t help the environment at all and does even way more damage, just so the oil at the surface is not that visible anymore from the air and reporters... That is absolutely despicable.

[@rizzorizzo2311]

Lol “evidently leaking some oil” understatement of the fucking century

[@donovanreimer2324]

Good video, good pacing.

[@alexislancaster-vr6rf]

Exxon: so how do we sort this out? Also Exxon; can we throw even more deadly chemicals at it? Exxon: yes Exxon again: can we also not get rid of the oil and just cover it up? Exxon: fuck yeah. Give that man a raise and promotions all round. Another win for planet earth. Let’s get the bags in

[@MUSKLR]

Great video! Just an FYI, in Alaska, the town named Valdez and ship name is pronounced “val-deez”, unlike the Hispanic pronunciation “val-dez”.

[@charliekuhns2832]

I was up there when I was in the Navy to help with the clean up effort

[@Nturner822]

Love your content mate

[@waterlinestories]

🤜🏻

[@SimonWallwork]

Really interesting channel. Thanks.

[@waterlinestories]

👍🏻 Thanks

[@r.j.d3923]

@4:50 picture shown is from Hook of Holland / Maasvlakte II, the Netherlands.

[@chase.b2967]

My dad was one of the first people on the Exxon Valdez after the spill.

[@jesterr7133]

Considering Exxon's yearly revenue, it is offensive that they made these people wait for twenty years.