Massive oil spill off California coast sends crude onto beaches, killing birds and marine life

A major oil spill off the Orange County coast that left crude spoiling beaches, killing fish and birds and threatening local wetlands. (Allen Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

An aerial view of a major oil spill washing ashore with birds feeding at the water's edge on the border of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach at the Santa Ana River Jetties on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Huntington Beach, California. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

A fish swims amidst oil, forming globules, foam and sheen that flowed in from high tide and was held back by a sand berm and boom in a trapped pool as an oil spill washes ashore on the border of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach at the Santa Ana River Jetties on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in California. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

A sign warns of the oil spill at the Huntington Beach pier on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in California. Authorities said 126,000 gallons of oil leaked from the offshore oil rig Elly on Saturday, with the slick reaching Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Workers with Patriot Environmental Services clean up oil that flowed into the Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, California on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. Authorities said 126,000 gallons of oil leaked from the offshore oil rig Elly on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Workers with Patriot Environmental Services collect bags of oil-soaked pads and other debris during cleanup at Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, California on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. Authorities said 126,000 gallons of oil leaked from the offshore oil rig Elly on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

A man photographs the scene near an oil boom, holding back a pool of oil that flowed in from the high tide and was held back by a sand berm and boom as an oil spill washes ashore on the border of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach at the Santa Ana River Jetties Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in California. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Cleanup contractors deploy skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Cleanup contractors deploy skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Cleanup contractors unload collected oil in plastic bags trying to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Cleanup contractors deploy skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Cleanup contractors deploy skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Cleanup contractors unload collected oil in plastic bags trying to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

LOS ANGELES — Crews raced Sunday to contain the damage from a major oil spill off the Orange County coast that left crude spoiling beaches, killing fish and birds and threatening local wetlands.