Baltimore Inner Harbor Mystery Sheen; Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore Inner Harbor | 2026-Jun-27

Initial Notification: On June 27, 2026, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Maryland-National Capital Region contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) about a mystery sheen in the Baltimore inner harbor. The origin of the sheen is unconfirmed, but suspected to be a foreign training vessel as part of Sail250, a global gathering of tall ships and military ships to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding. The sheen was initially reported to USCG on June 26 and is estimated to be about 30 gallons. USCG federalized the response on June 26 and deployed 500 feet of containment boom and adsorbents around the suspected source. Small patches of emulsified oil were visible inside the boom containment. Maryland Department of Environment received reports of oiled birds. Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research has responded and recovered one mallard. At this time, oil appears to be contained and spill is not suspected to be active. No products were requested from USCG at this time.