2007
06.30
06.30
A flotilla of plastic ducks is heading for Britain’s beaches, according to an American oceanographer.
For the past 15 years Curtis Ebbesmeyer has been tracking nearly 30,000 plastic bath toys that were released into the Pacific Ocean when a container was washed off a cargo ship.
Some of the ducks… are expected to reach Britain after a journey of nearly 17,000 miles, having crossed the Arctic Ocean frozen into pack ice, bobbed the length of Greenland and been carried down the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Any beachcomber who finds one of the ducks will be able to claim a $100 (£50) reward from the toys’ American distributor, First Years Inc.
The Times
Anyone fancy going duck hunting?
I read about this recently, excellent story – I would personally be well up for seeing them finally make land!
Oh man – someone has to repeat this, but this time put GPS in each duck. Mashup with a live google maps over for super-mega-awesomeness :P
Also, do you think they’d still be yellow after 15 years at sea? I’m thinking they’ll either been green (sea green, obviously) or maybe off-white, if they’ve been bleached by the sun.
Hi I live in south wales uk and we picked up a well travelled duck today any idea how we confirm if its missing one
my son and i found a plastic yellow duck number 260 on Saunton Beach yesterday the 16th April 2009 he has a curly tail but we too would like to know where he comes from