The development was tempered by a Coast Guard announcement that ``a small portion'' of Deepwater Horizon's oil slick had entered the Gulf's loop current and could reach the Florida Straits in seven or eight days.
– Good news: The tar balls found on the beaches of Florida are not a result of the Gulf oil spill, authorities have proven. Bad news: It's only a matter of days before the oil hits for real. The spill has reached the Loop Current, the Miami Herald reports, which will send it shooting into the Straights of Florida within seven to 10 days. And when it does, it'll probably wash up as ... tar balls. From Florida, the oil could spread up the East Coast, according to the BBC, while the loop current ushers other oil to the pristine coral reefs of Cuba. Asked what could stop the oil's spread, a Coast Guard admiral replied, “It would take an act of God.” The worried Cuban government has contacted the US, and there have been “low, technical level” talks about the issue.