New Zealand oil spill – in pictures

A man looks at waves washing oil up on to Papamoa beach after the Rena ran aground on a reef off the coast of Tauranga. Up to 350 tonnes of heavy fuel oil have spilled from the hull, prompting New Zealand's environment minister, Nick Smith, to call it the country's biggest maritime environmental disaster Photograph: Natacha Pisarenko/AP

Waves wash oil on to the pristine beaches near Tauranga. Maritime New Zealand said 200 oiled birds had been found dead and 47 others were being cleaned at a wildlife emergency centre. Several miles of coastline had been closed to the public and some beaches were severely covered Photograph: Natacha Pisarenko/AP

New Zealand army soldiers start to clear the oil from Papamoa beach Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Officials believe the Rena originally had about 1,900 tonnes of oil and diesel on board Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

About 88 containers have fallen off the vessel as it has listed increasingly in stormy ocean conditions Photograph: Maritime New Zealand/EPA

A man stands near a container that has spilled a debris of burger patties on Mount Maunganui beach. The ship is on the brink of breaking up after a crack appeared all the way around its hull, authorities have said Photograph: Natacha Pisarenko/AP

The oil slick from the grounded Rena has spread over 5km Photograph: Ross Brown/Getty Images

Shipping containers float in the water around the Rena Photograph: Blair Harkness/AP

The crack around the hull of the Rena Photograph: Handout/Getty Images

A dead seabird on Papamoa beach Photograph: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

Oil from the grounded container ship lies in tide lines on the beach near Tauranga. The Filipino captain of the ship has been arrested and charged Photograph: Bradley Ambrose/AFP/Getty Images

A chunk of fuel oil on Mount Maunganui beach Photograph: Natacha Pisarenko/AP

A volunteer removes thick oil washed up on beaches Photograph: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

Soldiers clean up the oil spill on Papamoa beach Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Officials are warning that if the ship breaks up and releases the 1,700 tonnes of fuel on board it will be the worst maritime disaster for New Zealand in decades Photograph: Bradley Ambrose/Getty Images

Conservation officials and volunteers remove dead seabirds from the coastline Photograph: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

Some of the native birdlife killed by the spill Photograph: Fairfax Media/Getty Images

Conservation officials remove dead seabirds Photograph: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

One of the rescued oil-coated penguins recuperating in a water tank at a wildlife centre in Tauranga Photograph: Bradley Ambrose/Getty Images