As Louisiana experiences week eight of the Deepwater Horizon oil catastrophe, globs of crude continue to wash into Grand Isle.  Instead of fishers and sunbathers, workers hired by the oil giant raked contaminated sand occupy the shore, raking the toxic sand and removing it in plastic bags.  Wetlands scientist Michael Massimi  of The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program warns that more oil likely remains below the surface of all areas hit by the reddish-black tide.

“It’ll look like a clean beach because the tide will blow fresh sand in, over the oil,” Massimi said. “Scrape it with your boot or a shovel and you’ll see the oil. These areas that don’t appear to be oiled are going to continue to be identified.”

Lens contributing phototographer Andy Levin managed to take these images before BP closed off heavily oiled areas of Grand Isle State Park on Saturday.