More than 100,000 Gallons of Oil Spill into Pacific off Santa Barbara

An oil spill is wreaking havoc along the beaches of California, turning the pristine shores of Santa Barbara into a veritable wasteland.

BuzzFeed News reports that the spill is already 9 miles wide and current estimates of the amount of oil spilled exceed 100,000 gallons. The cause of the spill is said to be a ruptured oil pipeline on land, but its proximity to a storm drain allowed the oil to easily reach the sea.

The U.S. Coast Guard is currently trying to contain the spill, but that has not stopped thousands of gallons from hitting California's beaches.

The pipeline was owned and operated by Plains All American Pipeline

Images of the spill, including where it originated, could be found on Twitter.

Although the pipeline was shut off Tuesday, May 19, shortly before noon, the spill could already be seen taking a toll on wildlife.

Other images showed the white sand beaches had turned a grotesque black.