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The Cosco Buson left the Oakland Estuary on Wednesday morning, and headed to sea. The ship's final destination was Pusan, South Korea. To reach the Pacific Ocean from the Oakland Estuary, a ship must travel between the Bay Bridge's supporting towers. Most seasoned pilots describe this particular course as "simple" on a clear day, but the Cosco Busan's pilot faced dense fog. Without clear visuals of the Bay, the pilot resorted to instruments. By most accounts, the ship had little trouble leaving the Oakland Estuary. The ship made a wrong turn close to the bridge. The ship's course suggests that the pilot attempted to correct this error with a sharp right turn.

Instead, the ship swung into the wooden fender surrounding the Bay Bridge's Delta tower.

The ship's pilot, Capt. John J. Cota, radioed the Coast Guard Traffic with an urgent message.

"I touched the delta tower," Cota said.

The ship proceeded to pass beneath the Bay Bridge, and anchor just off the coast of Treasure Island.

The accident opened a 160-ft long gash in the ship's hull, spilling 58,000 gallons of toxic fuel oil into the San Francisco Bay. The Cosco Busan spill represents the largest oil spill in the San Francisco Bay in 20 years. The event also marks the first time that a ship has actually ran into the Bay Bridge. (Watch footage from the US Coast Guard's official Bay Bridge damage survey.)

Since Wednesday, oil has washed up on several Bay Area beaches, including areas as far north as Stinson Beach and Tomales Bay. Almost every single one of the Bay Area's nine counties has been affected by the Cosco Busan oil spill. On Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the Governor suspended all fishing and crabbing in the Bay until at least December 1st, 2007. The commercial Dungeness crab season was set to begin on November 15. (The season for noncommercial crabbing opened on November 3, and many continued to crab through this Tuesday.) The local fishing industry faces a difficult fall.

Thousands of birds and other wildlife were severely affected by the Cosco Busan spill. Rescuers scour the beaches, bringing the affected wildlife back to rescue centers, where volunteers work in tandem with veterinarians to bring the birds back to life. As of Tuesday, November 13, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at U.C. Davis reported receiving 715 live birds, 511 dead ones.

After the accident, volunteers rushed to present their services. Local agencies report that that they have been flooded with volunteers, eager to help rescue oiled birds or clean up soiled beaches. If you wish to volunteer but cannot find an opening, remember that agencies will need your time and labor further down the road. If you do find evidence of oil on beach, or if you come across an oiled bird, report your find to the San Francisco City Government's hotline. Dial 311 in San Francisco, or 415-701-2311 outside of the city. You can also receive more information about city-sponsored volunteer efforts through the 311 hotline, or on the SF government webpage.

Volunteers who wish to help oiled birds and other wildlife should follow these links for more information:

• UC Davis's Oiled Wildlife Care Network
• The International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fairfield, California.
• Monitor for SF-based volunteer activities through SF Connect.