Global InformationIrving Whale information
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner | J.D. Irving Ltd. |
| Operator | Atlantic Towing |
| Port of registry | Canada |
| Route | Atlantic Canada |
| Builder | Saint John Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company Ltd., Saint John |
| Laid down | 1966 |
| Launched | 1966 |
| Christened | 1967 |
| Completed | 1967 |
| In service |
|
| Out of service | 7 September 1970 (sunk at 47°22'N, 63°20'W) |
| Identification | Atlantic Sea Lion |
| Fate | Salvaged (30 July 1996) |
| Status | active as Atlantic Sea Lion 2009- |
| Notes | Irving Whale refloated (1996), renamed ATL 2701 (2001), renamed Atlantic Sea Lion (2009)[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 77.69 m (254.9 ft) |
| Beam | 17.68 m (58.0 ft) |
| Draught | 5.03 m (16.5 ft) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Propulsion | non-propelled |
| Speed | 0 0 kn (0 km/h) |
Irving Whale is a Canadian barge that sank off the north coast of Prince Edward Island, while en route from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Bathurst, New Brunswick, with a cargo of Bunker C oil in a rich fishing area.[2] It is "one of Canada's most notorious nautical disasters".[3] The barge, owned by J.D. Irving Ltd., had carried oil for JDI from 1967 until it sank in 1970. She was refloated in 1996, re-fitted as a deck barge, re-activated, and renamed ATL 2701 in 2001 and renamed again in 2009, as Atlantic Sea Lion.[1] Since the accident, she only transports dry cargo.
The barge was refloated in complex, $42 million 70-hour successful recovery in July 1996.[4] It had been well-built and was in "remarkably good condition, preserved by the cool waters and smooth seabed of the Gulf of St. Lawrence."[4]
The barge was reclaimed by JDI Irving Limited , and towed to Halifax by JDI's Atlantic Towing, where the oil and PCBs were pumped out and the oil sold.
Atlantic Sea Lion, Atlantic Marlin/Swordfish, Atlantic Shark, Atlantic Tuna, and Irving Beaver, are the five barges currently listed in the service of JDI's subsidiary Atlantic Towing.[5]
The federal government of Canada lost a lawsuit through which an attempt was made to recoup the $42 million for the recovery of the Irving Whale. In 2000, the federal government reached a $5 million out-of-court settlement with JDI, which was described as the "worst precedent" of the "Polluter Pays Principle".[4] JDI is a subsidiary of the powerful 96-year-old family-run Saint John, New Brunswick-based Irving Group of Companies, founded by the entrepreneur and industrialist, K. C. Irving OC (1899–1992).[Notes 1]
- ^ a b c d "Atlantic Larch and tow", Tugfax, 31 December 2018
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
CBCAsItHappens_19750319was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
G&M_Reinhart_20201211was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Bill Dancer (guests), Peter Mansbridge (host), Tonda MacCharles (reporter) (30 July 1996). Thar she blows! Irving Whale surfaces. The National via. CBC via CBC Archives. Event occurs at 2:35 min. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
atlantictowing_2020was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=Notes> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Notes}} template (see the help page).