Moby-Duck, by Donovan Hohn
🌈 Abstract
The article explores the story of 28,800 plastic bath toys that fell off a cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean in 1992 and the subsequent journey of these "Floatees" as they drifted across the ocean over the following years. It examines the scientific investigation into the toys' drift patterns, the cultural and imaginative impact of the story, and the broader context of humanity's relationship with the natural world and the synthetic world.
🙋 Q&A
[01] The Spill and the Drift
1. What are the key details about the spill of the Floatees?
- The spill occurred on January 10, 1992 at 44.7°N, 178.1°E, when 12 containers of the toys fell overboard from a cargo ship during a severe storm
- Each container held 7,200 plastic bath toys - red beavers, blue turtles, green frogs, and yellow ducks
- The toys were produced in China for the American market and branded as "Floatees" by the manufacturer The First Years
2. How did oceanographers track the drift of the Floatees?
- Oceanographers Curtis Ebbesmeyer and James Ingraham used NOAA's Ocean Surface Current Simulator (OSCURS) to model the drift patterns of the toys
- They collected data from beachcombers who found the toys washing ashore in Alaska and other locations
- The OSCURS simulations were able to hindcast the initial drift from the spill site and forecast future trajectories, including some toys reaching Hawaii and circumnavigating the globe
3. What were some of the unexpected findings about the drift of the Floatees?
- The toys drifted at twice the speed of the ocean currents, riding high on the water
- The toys dispersed widely, with individual toys ending up in very different locations like a hot tub, a dog's mouth, and an otter's nest
- The toys proved remarkably durable, with some surviving for over a decade at sea
[02] The Cultural Impact
1. How did the story of the Floatees spread and evolve in the media?
- The initial story was reported in the Sitka Daily Sentinel, which led to a wider media coverage, including in major publications like The New York Times and The Smithsonian
- The story took on a mythical quality, with the plastic animals being transformed into rubber ducks in many retellings
- Children's author Eric Carle was inspired by the story to write the picture book "10 Little Rubber Ducks"
2. How did the story reflect broader themes about humanity's relationship with nature and the synthetic world?
- The article explores how the Floatees story intersected with themes of the marginalization of animals, the rise of synthetic materials, and the blurring of fact and fiction in modern culture
- It discusses how the ocean has become less fathomable to modern society, with the precise mapping of currents contrasting with the enduring power of the imagination
- The article suggests that the Floatees story tapped into a universal human desire to mingle fact and fantasy, reflecting a cultural tendency towards "childified adults" in the modern age