Eager-eyed beachcombers often search for seaglass, pottery or pretty shells. However, visitors to Cornwall look for a different treasure — one resulting from a shipping disaster almost 30 years ago.
1997 Rogue Wave Causes Lego Spill
On February 13, 1997, a German container ship traveling off Land's End in Cornwall was struck by a massive rogue wave. The wave tilted the ship, and 62 containers were lost to the ocean. One container held 4.8 million Lego pieces, most of them ocean-themed.
The spilled pieces drifted in ocean currents for years before landing ashore across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. Some even reached Australia.
Lego's 'Finders Keepers' Policy
Lego officials issued a finders keepers statement, welcoming people to take any pieces they found but advising they wash them well first. The firm also opened a hotline for reporting where pieces were picked up and offered help with clean-up operations.
Pieces Could Last 1,300 Years
Because the pieces are made from durable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, they resist degradation. A 2020 study estimated the bricks could survive in the ocean and on beaches for 1,300 years.
'Lego Beach' and the Rare Octopus
The coast of Cornwall is known as 'Lego Beach' to those in the know, and people spend hours hunting for the tiny plastic toys. The holy grail is the octopus piece, as only 4,200 were aboard the ship, making them much rarer than flippers, scuba tanks and swords.
