(CNN)Emergency teams in the Galapagos Islands are working to contain a 600-gallon oil spill after a cargo vessel overturned while being loaded with containers early Sunday, local officials said on Twitter.
The Galapagos, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are home to some of the most unique and scientifically significant ecosystems on earth. It is part of Ecuador and located hundreds of miles off the country’s coast.
The incident is likely to rile scientists and environmentalists who have gone to great lengths to protect the volcanic Pacific Ocean archipelago, which is home to many species that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. Charles Darwin did research on the island that eventually led him to his theory of evolution.
