Japanese Tsunami ‘Ghost Ship’ Drifiting Off NW Canadian Coast (VIDEO)
Oceanographers say this is the tip of the 'debris-burg' coming to the Pacific Coast from last year's Japanese tsunami--and it will affect the Pacific Coast along Canada, Washington and Oregon.
A 150 foot Japanese fishing vessel has been spotted floating off the British Columbia Coast, about 140 miles off the coast of Cape St. James, which is not THAT far off the Washington coast. The vessel, which is badly rusted, was one of a number that were swept out to sea during the Japanese tsunami one year ago. Canadian Defence officials say it is abandoned, lettering on the vessel was used to locate the owner, who said they believe nobody was aboard when it was taken away by the huge wave.
For the last year, it has been slowly propelled by the Pacific currents, up towards Alaska, and now down the Pacific Coast. If left alone, it will most likely wash ashore somewhere near the US-Canadian border! Canadian officials are monitoring it's progress, ships have been notified because it's considered a danger out in the open water. Towing it to shore would be so expensive it would offset salvage costs. No word if the Japanese owner even wants it back.
Canadian officials, oceanographic experts, and military officials say it's the first large piece of tsunami debris to reach the Pacific coast. Smaller items such as bottles and lumber have already reached Canada recently, but officials say the debris will only get bigger, and more "dangerous", and it won't be long before the stuff starts washing up on the beaches of Washington and Oregon, and could continue for several years.
Wildlife officials also fear that with the debris will come possible invasive plant and insect spiecies that could cause problems for our enviornment. Officials say enough wreckage from the tsunami was swept away to cover the state of California! Good news--officials say any chance of the debris being radioactive (from the Fukushima nuclear plant) is virtually none. Most of any heavy wreckage from that area that was pulled out to sea sank just off the Japanese Coast.
But don't be surprised if the next time you visit the Washington or Oregon coast this fall, you find a bottle, or piece of lumber, or fishing gear with Japanese lettering on it.
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