During World War II, following an agreement between the Portuguese government and American military authorities, construction began on an airstrip on the island of Santa Maria to support aircraft protecting Allied convoys crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The work progressed rapidly, and in August 1944, a plane landed on the island for the first time. Due to the resources deployed, Santa Maria quickly became a logistical air base for the United States.

After the war ended, the Santa Maria airport was repurposed for civilian use in 1946 and, for around thirty years, served as a major refueling stop for intercontinental flights. This strategic importance declined with the rise of jet aviation and long-range aircraft, along with the Azorean government's decision to prioritize Lajes Airport for regular international connections, relegating Santa Maria to an alternative role.

The Norwegian oil tanker MV Velma, chartered by Mobil Oil to resupply its fuel tanks at Santa Maria Airport, was en route from Aruba with jet fuel (JP1). However, on February 1, 1961, the ship ran aground on the Ponta do Marvão, on the island’s southwestern coast.

The Velma, launched in 1959, displaced 11,140 tons, measured 167 meters in length, and had a crew of 45. It was scheduled to arrive at Vila do Porto Bay in late January with eleven million liters of jet fuel. Due to stormy weather, the vessel sheltered in Ponta Delgada for two days before resuming course to begin fuel transfer operations.

Since the island lacked a docking pier, the transfer procedure involved mooring the ship to three buoys. Then, professional divers would descend more than twenty meters to connect a cable to the terminal of a rubber pipeline on the bay floor. This line would then be hauled up and attached to the ship's pumping system to begin transferring the fuel to land-based storage tanks.

This time, however, the mooring operation was unsuccessful or took too long—possibly due to poor sea conditions—causing the vessel to drift eastward, strike the seabed, and become stranded near Ponta do Marvão.

Hopes that the rising tide would free the ship proved futile.

"The vessel has remained grounded in the port of Vila do Porto since February 1," reported O Telégrafo on February 7, 1961.
"It sustained a small breach in the engine room, which flooded. This made it impossible to free the ship using its own power, even though it remains afloat and the propeller is operational. The Dutch tugboat Elbe is already on-site, with another salvage vessel expected to arrive soon."

Despite efforts by multiple tugboats, the MV Velma could not be freed. A few days later, worsening weather caused the ship to begin leaking fuel, and eventually, it broke in two.

"All hope is lost for saving the Norwegian tanker Velma, grounded on Santa Maria," stated Correio da Horta on February 13, 1961.
"The port is closed to traffic, and the Carvalho Araújo ship can only disembark passengers and mail. Fishing has been prohibited. A vast slick of naphtha covers the bay, and the ocean continues to batter the ship, which still contains 15,000 tons of fuel, posing an increasing hazard."

José de Chaves Veiga, who worked for Mobil Oil on the island at the time, later recalled the intense discussions about how to refloat the ship, recover its cargo, or at least prevent the wreckage from blocking port access.

"There was no mention of water pollution, or of the destruction of marine life and vegetation caused by the spill of more than ten million liters of fuel along the island’s southwestern coast. The word ‘pollution’ hadn’t yet entered common vocabulary—but the already dark bay of Vila do Porto grew even darker for years to come."

Only a small amount of fuel was ever recovered, and the ship was eventually dismantled. The salvaged metal was exported as scrap.

Today, the remnants of the MV Velma remain scattered off the coast near Ponta do Marvão.

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