The resulting 800,000-gallon spill, the largest in Bay Area history, threatened sensitive natural habitats both inside and outside the bay, including the Bolinas Lagoon, and contributed to the growth of activism against pollution, after thousands of Bay Area residents volunteered to clean up beaches and rescue oil-soaked birds.
[1][2][3][4] In March 1971, California's Fish and Game Department estimated that 7,000 birds were oiled during the incident, most of which died before collection or while being taken care of.
[6] The resulting environmental destruction from the spill, specifically the avian population, prompted volunteers to rescue some 4,300 birds.
At the time, knowledge on how to care for oiled birds was low.
[3] One of the largest volunteer turnouts since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake came of this event.