A group of surfers and water sports enthusiasts paddled out more than five miles to an oil platform located off Santa Barbara.
The event, supported by the Surfrider Foundation and Patagonia, aimed to protest and raise awareness about the dangers of offshore drilling three months after the Refugio Oil Spill, which sent 140,000 gallons of thick crude oil to marine protected areas and beaches.
The tragedy killed several hundred birds and marine mammals, but the effects of the industrial disaster will continue to storm the region unless authorities start planning a move toward renewable alternatives.
The activists named the campaign #CrudeAwakening.
Surfrider is asking everyone to write a letter to elected officials urging them to prevent future oil drilling, improve response procedures, and increase safety inspections.
The truth is that, on the paddle-out day, several people spotted abnormal amounts of oil on the shores of Goleta and Summerland.
The nightmare continues, and the environmental threat remains unchallenged.