How 29,000 Lost Rubber Ducks Helped Map the World's Oceans

Summary

In 1992, a cargo ship carrying 29,000 rubber ducks lost them during a storm near Alaska. These unique, water-tight ducks floated across the world's oceans, washing ashore in places like Alaska, Japan, and even the Atlantic. Oceanographers, such as Curtis Ebbesmeyer, used the ducks to study ocean currents, making significant discoveries. The ducks have since become rare collector’s items, sometimes sold for thousands. The video ends with a sponsorship from Skillshare, promoting their affordable online classes, including animation courses by experts from Kurzgesagt.

Takeaways

• 🦆 In January 1992, a cargo ship named Evergreen Ever Laurel lost 12 containers in a storm, including one with 29,000 rubber ducks.
• 🧸 These rubber ducks, designed to be waterproof without holes, floated endlessly across the oceans.
• 🗺️ Scientists tracked the movements of the ducks, using them as an unintentional tool for studying ocean currents.
• 🌊 The ducks washed ashore in various locations including Alaska, Japan, Australia, and more.
• 📅 By 1996, discoveries slowed down, but some ducks were later found in the Atlantic after traveling through Arctic ice.
• 🌍 The rubber ducks helped prove oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer's ocean current model predictions.
• 💰 There was once a $100 reward for reporting the location of these original ducks, and some have sold for up to $1,000 at auctions.
• 🔍 Scientists valued the ducks as unique trackers of ocean currents because of their widespread distribution.
• 🌐 These ducks now serve as a global symbol of how plastic waste can impact oceans, even unintentionally.
• 🎓 The video ends by promoting Skillshare as a platform to invest in yourself, offering classes ranging from animation to programming.

Q & A

What was the Evergreen Ever Laurel carrying on its journey from the United Kingdom?

The Evergreen Ever Laurel was carrying typical cargo like textiles, electronics, food, and rubber ducks.

What unusual cargo fell into the ocean during the storm the Evergreen Ever Laurel encountered?

One of the containers that fell into the ocean contained 29,000 rubber ducks.

Why were the rubber ducks able to float indefinitely in the ocean?

These particular rubber ducks did not have holes in the bottom, which prevented them from taking on water and sinking.

How were scientists able to use the rubber ducks for ocean current tracking?

The large number of floating rubber ducks allowed scientists to track the ocean currents by observing where and when the ducks washed ashore.

Why is tracking ocean currents difficult using traditional methods?

Tracking ocean currents is difficult because using buoys or releasing bottles into the ocean only provides limited data, and many of them are never recovered or reported.

What was one of oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer’s boldest predictions about the rubber ducks?

Curtis Ebbesmeyer predicted that some rubber ducks would travel north through the Arctic and into the Atlantic Ocean, which was later proven true.

What happened to the rubber ducks after they reached the Atlantic Ocean?

Rubber ducks were found in various locations, including Canada, New England, Iceland, and the UK, after making their way into the Atlantic.

Why were people incentivized to report finding one of the original rubber ducks?

There was a $100 reward offered to anyone who found and reported the location of one of the original rubber ducks from the container.

How valuable have the rubber ducks become over time?

The rubber ducks have become so popular that some have been sold for up to $1,000 at auction.

What sponsorship is promoted at the end of the video, and how can viewers take advantage of it?

The video is sponsored by Skillshare, and viewers can get two months of Skillshare Premium for 99 cents by being one of the first 1,000 people to sign up at skl.sh/hai8.