Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill by Reid Mangold

What the explosion looked like

123121_11 — 2025-08-21 15:31:04 UTC

This photo was taken on April 21st, 2010, on the Gulf of Mexico. One day after the oil rig exploded.

The Location of the spill

123121_11 — 2025-08-21 16:24:09 UTC

The yellow spot is where the oil rig exploded (about 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana) and the red is where the oil spread across the Gulf of Mexico.

Fatalities and Injuries

123121_11 — 2025-08-22 15:38:53 UTC

In the event of the explosion 11 people were killed and 17 others were injured. None of the bodies were found.

How long it spilled

123121_11 — 2025-08-22 15:58:01 UTC

The oil leaked for a total of 87 days from April 20th, 2010-July 15th, 2010. It took millions of gallons of chemical dispersants to break up the oil.

How big the spill really was

123121_11 — 2025-08-22 16:03:39 UTC

Between 134-210 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the largest marine oil spill in history.

What happened

123121_11 — 2025-08-22 16:17:19 UTC

A marine oil rig exploded on the Gulf of Mexico and spread across the Gulf due to oil and gas under very high pressure escaping from the well. Oil began gushing nearly 5,000 feet below the surface.

Environmental Impact

123121_11 — 2025-08-25 15:21:44 UTC

An estimated 800,000 birds died, 2-5 million fish died, 25,900 marine mammals died, specifically dolphins and whales, 167,000 sea turtles, many of those species experienced long term affects, many still today.