A few years ago, I joined a clean-up at Kamilo Beach on the Big Island of Hawai’i.  I noted the things we found:

• fishing gear
• whale vertebrae
• a glass float
• hagfish traps
• shoes
• possible tsunami debris from Japan
• top of a toy rocket
• action figures
• wheels from a toy car
• toothbrushes
• lighters

That list has been stashed on my phone for two years.

Why?

Because each item tells a story, from forgotten toys to mislaid fishing nets.  Each piece of flotsam was made, lost, and carried across the Pacific to the world’s most isolated island chain.

I wanted to learn that story.  And, if you’ve ever lost a flip-flop at a beach, or written a message in a bottle, you might want to learn where it went.

You can find out at one of my favorite sites, Adrift. Continue reading Toying around with Ocean Currents →