As hard as it is to look at these images, it's important that they are made and widely circulated. BP would like to keep images like these from getting out, but the public needs to see the horrid effects this massive oil spill is having on wildlife, the environment, the beaches, people's livelihoods and the entire Gulf ecosystem.
See more images by AP Photographer Charlie Riedel at http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.html