Gulf oil spill: A Whale, world's largest skimmer now being tested in the Gulf of Mexico

"A Whale" Skimmer anchored on Mississippi River    Photo Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

July 3, 2010 – The skimmer vessel "A Whale" has started a two-day test to see how it can handle the oil that contaminates the Gulf of Mexico from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After being retrofitted from tanker to skimmer, the skimmer's owners brought her into the Gulf without knowing whether or not they would be allowed to show the Coast Guard and BP what she can do. Now they have they have the chance to prove their assertion that the ship can remove oil from more than 20 million gallons of seawater a day.

After the Coast Guard went onboard to check out the ship yesterday, the Associated Press is confirming this morning that a 48-hour test has begun.

As reported on Thursday, "As skimming operations in the Gulf of Mexico were brought to a halt on Wednesday by Hurricane Alex, "A Whale," the world's largest oil skimmer, made its Louisiana debut when it anchored in the Mississippi River at Boothville. Worried residents all along the coast see the arrival of the tanker turned skimmer as a sign of hope. More evidence of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster washed ashore as the first hurricane of the 2010 season kicked up wind and waves around the Gulf coastline."

Read the rest of that story, watch a video and see a 20-picture slide show of the interior and exterior of the ship as it was anchored in the Mississippi River:

Gulf oil spill: Will it go to work? World's biggest oil skimmer reports for duty (video, pictures)

Or view the slide show first:

In Pictures: The world's largest oil skimmer "A Whale"

Read the latest oil spill update:

Gulf oil spill update: EPA news, NOAA map, what South Florida can expect, oiled beaches (pictures)