**The international conservation group, WWF, says a spill from a damaged oil rig in the Timor Sea off Australia has caused massive contamination.**The WWF, which made a three-day survey of the area off Australia’s north-west coast, said the spill was having a significant impact on marine life.
A spokeswoman said she had seen dolphins swimming in water that was covered with oil.
Engineers are mounting a fourth attempt to plug the leak on the West Atlas rig.
It has been spilling oil for almost nine weeks.
Outrage
The WWF spokeswoman, Dr Gilly Llewellyn, said that if the spill was closer to shore there would be global outrage.
She said there were areas where the slick extended in every direction for as far as the eye could see.
Officials from Australia’s Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism said on Thursday the damaged rig could be leaking as much as as 2,000 barrels of oil a day.
Described as a vast wilderness area, the area affected by the spill is home to many humpback whales, endangered turtles, dolphins and other marine life.
Conservationists have said this is Australia’s most damaging oil spill in 25 years.
The West Atlas drilling platform that lies about 200km (125 miles) off the West Australian coast.
The rig’s operators have said that plugging the leak is an extremely complex task.
Operator PTTEP Australasia said the drilling team has come within centimetres of the target in previous attempts.
About 300 people are working on addressing the spill, in the Timor Sea, at the Truscott air base and at Darwin, PTTEP has said.
Seventeen vessels and nine aircraft, including a Boeing 747, have been used in the operation since 21 August.
Engineers have tried to cap a small hole 25cm wide that lies deep beneath the seabed.
Boats have been spraying chemicals to help disperse the slick and stop it spreading.