During the morning of 11 January 1986 Castillo de Salas, owned by the Spanish company Elcano,[1] ran aground over rocks 740 metres (2,430 ft) north northwest of Gijón.

[4][5][6] On 15 November 2003 Gijón artist Joaquín Rubio Camín's sculpture "Memoria" (Memory) was unveiled on the Camino del Cervigón overlooking the sea.

The sculpture was made using part of the remains of Castillo de Salas which sank off Gijón and were recovered earlier in the year.

[10] Since the incident, it has been common to find dark sand contaminated with coal on the beaches in the Bay of Gijón, particularly after rough sea conditions.

The amounts recovered continue to reduce over time, but patches of dark coloured sand, high in black coal particles, can be seen at low tide.