The news is good so far in the Gulf . . . . finally!

BP began plugging the damaged oil well today with a “static kill” by pumping mud into it. Early reports are encouraging.

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Wednesday he has “high confidence” that no more oil will leak from BP’s Gulf of Mexico well, hours after BP announced that the well had reached “static condition” after pumping heavy drilling mud into it.

BP called the outcome a “significant milestone” in its efforts to permanently seal the well.

The energy giant began the “static kill” procedure at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday and workers stopped pumping mud in after about eight hours after the effort achieved its “desired outcome.”

Let’s hope we’ve seen the end of this nightmare.

Some of the other photos out there are much worse, but it’s heartbreaking to see these pelicans covered in oil.

Meanwhile, oil spill protests are heating up against BP.

We’ve added more depressing photos after the jump.

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President Barack Obama is greeted by Florida Governor Charlie Crist, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, upon Obama’s arrival in New Orleans this afternoon. Obama traveled to the Louisiana gulf coast to further assess damage from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Meanwhile, BP is still working on an effort to capture the oil spewing from the sea floor.

prices to rise for shrimp and crab. We’re just beginning to see the devastation from the oil spill.

Meanwhile, BP is mulling its options to contain the spill after recent efforts failed.

The photo above shows birds flying over a wildlife protected area, south of Venice, Louisiana. The United States scrambled on Friday to ward off an ecological disaster that could cost billions of dollars as a huge, spreading oil spill reached coastal Louisiana, imperiling wildlife and seafood areas.

Rescue crews are already rescuing the first bird coated with oil from the spill. Meanwhile, government officials have been criticizing BP, while the Obama administration said that any future drilling plans will be delayed pending an investigation of this disaster.