The Mauritius Oil Spill: was it really cleaned up? This year, the blue waters of Mauritius were stained black with 1000 tonnes of oil. Companies claim cleanups have been initiated. Are oil spills ever cleaned up? Sources: Smithsonian magazine, vox, marineinsight, bbc, forbes, noaa.gov, the guardian, seeker (youtube), livescienceFollow us on Instagram | Subscribe to receive our weekly posts in your inbox.