Japan's Tsunami Debris on Alaska's Shore?

[sail7seas]

Has anyone who was recently in Alaska seen the debris and trash that is being reported to be littering the shore in Alaska? I just saw the saddest report on TV of styrofoam and all sorts of things that have floated all the way across the Pacific. Apparently there is a big concern wildlife will eat styrofoam thinking it is food and it will be deadly.

 

So tragic.....

Has anyone seen evidence of this?

[iancal]

At least one container has washed up on the coast of BC. Lots of debris coming in every day. Only the big stuff or the oddities are getting reported.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I saw that same report last night and was wondering the same thing.

 

What they showed on TV looked pretty bad.

[1of4]

Our news covers the big stuff, like a motercycle and a car, but hint that these travelled in large "flottillas" of items all from Japan which is now hitting Vancouver Island, Washington State and Alaskan shores. I am sure it includes everything. One story was of a ball (can't remember if it was vollyball or basketball) and it was signed by a team. The boy who it belonged to lost everything, including his home and some members of his family. The person who found it knew some Japaness and could tell it was a team ball and who it belonged to. Just a bit of research and it was sent back to the original owner who was very, very greatful.

 

Such great stories of human compassion. I just hope that the same compassion streatches to beach clean up teams to ensure most gets picked up before the wildlife can "check it out".

[CtheW0rld]

there is a huge debris field heading for the west coast. this is just the beginning.

 

here is a very recent news article about it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/27/japan-tsunami-debris-2011-earthquake_n_1546799.html?ref=green

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our news covers the big stuff, like a motercycle and a car, but hint that these travelled in large "flottillas" of items all from Japan which is now hitting Vancouver Island, Washington State and Alaskan shores. I am sure it includes everything. One story was of a ball (can't remember if it was vollyball or basketball) and it was signed by a team. The boy who it belonged to lost everything, including his home and some members of his family. The person who found it knew some Japaness and could tell it was a team ball and who it belonged to. Just a bit of research and it was sent back to the original owner who was very, very greatful.

 

Such great stories of human compassion. I just hope that the same compassion streatches to beach clean up teams to ensure most gets picked up before the wildlife can "check it out".

 

I remember that story -- it was on our local stations as well.

[Krazy Kruizers]

there is a huge debris field heading for the west coast. this is just the beginning.

 

here is a very recent news article about it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/27/japan-tsunami-debris-2011-earthquake_n_1546799.html?ref=green

 

Thank you for the link.

Notice that the Homer newspaper had an article. We will be back in Homer this summer and hopefully the debris doesn't affect our journey to that area.

[sapper1]

This issue was very much on my mind during the very rough sea conditions we encountered while sailing from San Diego to Vancouver earlier this month. I would lie awake wondering how much damage a container would do if we struck one in the dark.

[PathfinderEss]

I did not see any debris on our recent cruise up the Pacific Coast and Alaska.

[sail7seas]

Some of the video clips I saw were awful. HUGE piles of debris coming ashore.

 

I also wonder about navigation safety. Apparently this mess is traveling in huge debris fields.

I'd feel so sad to see evidence of so much suffering in Japan and such environmental damage on Canada and U.S. shorelines.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I did not see any debris on our recent cruise up the Pacific Coast and Alaska.

Of course we were on the same sailing as Melodie but we also saw nothing. There has always been plenty of things floating in the waters of Alaska. It is kind of like one big whirlpool that spins around in the Pacific. The thing is if you read carefully the news is blowing a lot of this out of proportion as usual much of the debris from Japan has actually sunk and not that far off the coast of Japan, only items that float like the story of the volleyball is possible but I had already read some where that was a urban myth :rolleyes:

I also saw a TV news article last night too and the lead in was stating it was from the Tsunami and it was about debri that has come to shore in Hawaii but then when you watch the broad cast and they show it there is nothing about it coming from Japan, instead they show milk bottles and soda bottle with good old America writing on it and they state it is just trash that is being disposed in the Ocean.

While I believe that somethings have made it to North America it is not the Tsunami that is littering the ocean.

[cruising cockroach]

I would lie awake wondering how much damage a container would do if we struck one in the dark.

 

I wouldn't worry too much. About 2-10,000 of these go over the side into the the briny every year.

[Typhoon1]

I saw a report the the motorcycle will be going to the Harley Davidson museum.

[CtheW0rld]

I saw a report the the motorcycle will be going to the Harley Davidson museum.

 

harley davidson is going to restore the bike and ship it back to its owner:

 

http://gawker.com/5907395/harley+davidson-will-restore-motorcycle-lost-in-tsunami-and-found-in-canada

 

that's very nice of them

[sail7seas]

Debris that has Japanese characters written on it can probably be assumed to have floated the Pacific eastward. Press may sensationalize but it's hard to deny the photos we've seen on any number of reports.

 

[iancal]

There have apparently been substantiated reports of huge debris fields on their way to the west coast. Not surprising, given the devestation in Japan.

[Assateague Island Princes]

The Anchorage Daily News and Homer Tribune have been posting stories about the debris for the past month or so. Photos and commentary accompany the stories - www.adn.com and www.homertribune.com.

[kazu]

not only is there debris - radioactive bluefin tuna have crossed the ocean:eek:

 

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/28/radioactive-tuna-japan_n_1551042.html?ref=canada&icid=maing-grid7%7Ccanada-toshiba%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D164849

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

Tonight 5/29 on A.B.C. news is doing a story on this

 

Mary

[sail7seas]

It's so sad to think about the misery caused at the time of the tsunami and now the environmental impact to many thousands of miles away...... it reached North American shores in a year. Awful!

 

[cruising cockroach]

The owner of the Harley has changed his mind about having hi bike restored because of all the loss (he lost 3 members of his family). The bike is now with the Harley distributor in Canada and will go to the H-D musem in Milwaukee as a memorial/tribute to/reminder of about those who lost their lives.

 

FWIW, scientist have been able to pinpoint the exact date of the tsunami that struck Oregon (new year's day 1700) because of the unexpected tsunami (no earthquake recorded in Japan) that stuck Japan that day.

[JPesq]

We didn't see anything abnormal last week. Perhaps later in the summer will be a different story. The local guides on my kayaking trip in Sitka said they've seen some and expect to see a lot more.