Japanese dock washes up in Oregon

Caroline Morley, online picture researcher

(Image: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)

It is nearly 15 months since a powerful earthquake triggered a destructive tsunami that hit Japan's east coast, crashing 5 kilometres inland. As the water swept back out to sea it carried an estimated 5.5 million tonnes of debris with it.

Most of the debris sank not long after reaching the ocean, but over the past couple of months some of the rest has started to drift ashore. Not back to Japan but on the west coast of North America, carried by the Pacific's currents.

The latest and maybe largest item to land is a dock that has washed up on Agate beach near Newport in Oregon. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), the authority in charge of the beach, has reported that the dock is not radioactive and is mostly made of concrete and metal. It measures 2.13 metres tall, 5.7 metres wide and 20 metres long. A plaque in Japanese (see below) and the wildlife clinging to its frame pointed to its origin, later confirmed by the local Japanese consulate.

Unlike other more personal items that have washed ashore, the dock is unlikely to be returned to its owner. Instead OPRD is currently considering two options for the dock at the end of its long journey - salvage or disposal.

(Image: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)

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