$100 Ducks

[Lonan3]

LINK TO TIMES ARTICLE

 

Since most of the rubbish in the sea seems to end up on our shores, this could be relevant:

 

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, known as Friendly Floatees, 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.

Mr Ebbesmeyer, who is based in Seattle, said yesterday that those that had not been trapped in circulating currents in the North Pacific, crushed by icebergs or blown ashore in Japan are bobbing across the Atlantic on the Gulf Stream.

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.

 

If you find one, however, it may not be the best idea to rush off and claim the reward as:

 

Two children’s books have been written about the saga and the ducks have become collector’s items, changing hands for £500.

[bluemonday]

I read that. A fascinating story. If as the article says, they're expected to hit southwest England, southern Ireland and western Scotland; then we must have a reasonable chance of having a visitor or two as well.

[Pat Ayres]

I'm setting up camp at the Ayres for that money. I'll fight the seals to get one.

[copycat]

I,m told that due to the prevailing gulf stream flow Castletown, Fleshwick, and Niarbyl are favourite for the first landings

[Jake]

Well if they end up in the Irish sea no doubt a few Ducks will end up where I am as the currents lead into the River Dee and The Mersey.... both on either side of me.... I shall be Duck hunting in the near future.