Moby Duck: The Biggest Mystery of the Ocean World
Have you heard of Moby-Duck, which was spotted on coastlines around the world for several years? If not, keep reading.
But before we delve into that, let me share some news that indirectly relates to Moby Duck.
There are approximately 50,000 cargo ships worldwide that tirelessly transport goods through import and export. Among these ships, some are not just large, but extremely large, with a capacity of up to 24,000 containers.
One of the top ten largest cargo ships in the world is Evergreen. However, this massive size occasionally leads to troubles. Recently, the ship was passing through the Suez Canal when strong winds caused it to rotate to the point where both ends became stuck in the canal, as depicted in the photos. Experts are making every effort to free it, but it is lodged in such a way that no other cargo ship can pass through.
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The problem is that the location where it is stuck is a crucial route for cargo ships traveling between Asia and Europe. Thousands of cargo ships traverse this path daily. Just an hour after the incident, approximately 120 cargo ships were waiting for clearance. As a result, businesses are losing around 300 million pounds every hour. On a daily basis, the loss amounts to $9.6 billion.
Simultaneously, the Suez Canal Authority is suffering a daily loss of $13 million due to this situation.
This ship, laden with 20,000 containers, proved extremely challenging to rotate, achieving only a 30-degree turn after much effort.
Finally, after nearly a week of strenuous work, the ship was successfully straightened and resumed its journey.
Now, here’s an interesting fact you may have heard before: this ship belongs to the Evergreen Marine Corporation. This is the same company whose cargo ship released 28,000 rubber bath toys into the seawater in 1992. These toys included red beavers, green frogs, blue turtles, and yellow ducks. For years, they floated in the ocean, reaching the shores of different countries, their origin unknown. Experts researched this phenomenon for many years, even conducting scientific investigations, but found no leads. The mystery persisted even after several years had passed.
Thirteen years later, journalist Donovan Hohn began researching these floating bath ducks. He visited every location associated with reports of these toys, and eventually wrote a book on the subject titled “Moby-Duck.”
Since the toys were made of rubber, it became an environmental story that captured the world’s attention. Hohn himself didn’t anticipate the value his research would hold.
Later, the company revealed that one of their cargo ships had encountered high seas, causing it to tilt at a 60-degree angle. Due to a container door breaking, all the rubber bath toys were washed away into the sea.
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Even after 15 years, these toys are still being discovered. The last sighting of the yellow duck was on a beach in the UK in 2007.
As shown in the picture, this cargo ship originated from Hong Kong and became stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. From there, these bath toys traveled in different directions, reaching various countries.
However, this incident had a silver lining. Oceanographers obtained a new map that illustrates ocean currents, thanks to the path these toys took. This map is known as the Ocean Currents Map.
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