Bay Oil Source Found

A ship that sank nearly 50 years ago is to blame for a mysterious oil spill that killed more than 13-hundreds birds since November.

Officials say the US Coast Guard matched oil samples taken from the S.S. Jacob Luckenbach to those taken from oiled birds. The sunken ship is located about 17 miles southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge. It sank in 1953 after colliding with another ship.

The spill had baffled officials for months. Oil-covered birds kept turning up along a 220-mile stretch of the coast, and the sheen was visible.

The Luckenbach has been leaking intermittently since at least 1992.

Now, the state and federal agencies must figure out the best way to stop the leak. Options include stabilizing the oil, plugging the leak, attempting to remove the oil or trying to salvage the vessel.