What happens when oil spills into the ocean for 87 days straight? On April 20, 2010, an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven workers lost their lives. The blast cracked the well pipe far below the ocean floor. Oil began gushing into the water. For eighty-seven days, crude oil poured from the broken well. About 210 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf. The oil spread across the surface like a dark slick. It washed onto beaches in five states. Oil harms ocean animals in many ways. When oil coats a bird's feathers, the bird cannot fly or stay warm. Sea turtles mistook floating oil for food and swallowed it. Fish eggs in contaminated water did not survive. Dolphins in the area developed lung problems. Scientists worked to measure the damage. They found that oil had reached the deep ocean floor where crabs and worms live. Cleanup crews used special boats to skim oil from the surface. They placed long floating barriers to stop oil from reaching the shore. Some areas of the Gulf have recovered, but scientists say certain species are still affected years later.