28,800 Rubber Bath Ducks Spilled into the Ocean in 1992 Are Still Circling the Globe Today

In 1992, a powerful storm in the Pacific Ocean led to one of the largest and most unusual studies of ocean currents. A cargo ship traveling from China to America was caught in the storm, causing several containers to spill into the sea, one of which contained 28,800 bath toys.

 

Likely due to collision with other containers and the effects of salt water and waves, the toys broke free from their packaging. The toys were manufactured without holes, so they successfully floated to the surface.

 

Oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer used this incident to study ocean currents. He tracked the movement of the rubber ducks. Previously, ocean current studies used no more than a thousand bottles, but the 28,800 ducks provided incomparably more data.

 

These ducks began washing up on Alaska's shores in late 1992, 3,200 kilometers from their point of origin. Scientists developed a computer model that predicted the ducks' journey. For example, in 2007, several ducks reached Britain's shores, and it's possible that some are still floating in ocean waters today.

 

This fascinating incident greatly contributed to the development of oceanography. Scientists gained deeper insights into ocean connectivity and created modern systems using GPS technology to track the movement of plastic waste.

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