Umm Al Quwain Closes Beaches as Gem No.2 Oil Slick Hits Shore

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates closed beaches in Umm Al Quwain after oil from a damaged tanker reached the shore on Friday.

The slick stretches more than 35km from the Gem No.2, a Panama-flagged vessel struck by an unknown projectile on 9 October near the Strait of Hormuz. Satellite imagery reviewed by BBC Verify and MAIAR shows the leak grew rapidly between 19 and 21 October. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment stated it began containment measures immediately to limit environmental impacts. Verified video from Friday shows black oil washing onto the sand near the northern city.

The spill is moving toward Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, a globally recognized Key Biodiversity Area. The site contains corals, seagrasses, and saltmarshes, and supports populations of green turtles and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish. Eoghan Darbyshire, a scientist at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, identified the spill's proximity to this zone as the most concerning environmental angle. The ship was hit just north of Al Jazeera Al Hamra, starting a fire that crew members extinguished. Iranian state media described the vessel as using an unauthorized route through the strait. All 22 Indian crew members were rescued by the Indian consulate in Dubai on 11 October.

Prof Steve Widdicombe, director of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, told BBC Verify that an impact was inevitable. He noted that spills can kill marine life quickly by trapping turtles or smothering seabirds. Long-term exposure to toxic compounds in the oil can also reduce a species' ability to reproduce. Researchers caution that it is too early to determine the severity of the damage, as outcomes depend on the volume and type of oil, evaporation rates, and cleanup effectiveness. Security experts said the strikes on ships in the strait in early October were part of an Iranian effort to assert control over the waterway.

This incident follows a similar event in August when a large oil slick reached the shores of Iran's Qeshm Island. Experts said that earlier spill threatened wildlife and fishing communities in the region.