Reporter Takes A Dip Without Hazmat Suit

There is nothing alive under the slick, although I see a dead jellyfish and handful of small bait fish.

SHOOT: It's a death zone. It should be called the Death Spill.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com It's quiet, and to be honest scary, extremely low visibility. I spend just 10 minutes swimming around taking pictures, taking video. I want people to see the spill in a new way, a way they haven't yet. I also want to get out of the water. Badly. I make my way to the back of the boat unaware of just how covered I am. To be honest, I look a little like one of those poor pelicans we've all been seeing for days now. The oil is so thick and sticky, almost like a cake batter. It does not wipe off. You have to scrape it off, in layers until you finally get close to the skin. Then you pour on some Dawn dishwashing soap and scrub. I think to myself: No fish, no bird, no turtle would ever be able to clean this off of themselves. If any animal, any were to end up in this same puddle there is almost no way they could escape. The cleaning process goes on for half an hour before the captain will even think about letting me back in the boat.