Japan Tsunami Debris: Alaska Spots Volleyball Traced To Japanese School

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Federal scientists say that a volleyball and soccer ball that washed ashore on an island may be the first pieces of debris to arrive in Alaska from the last year's tsunami in Japan.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that (http://bit.ly/JdVDud) the sports balls were spotted by a radar technician on Middleton Island. His wife traced the writing on the balls to a Japanese school in an area hit by the tsunami.

Doug Helton of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the balls are one of the first pieces of debris that can be traced back to Japan — and make it possible to return it to the owner.

Middleton Island lies almost due south of Cordova in the Gulf of Alaska, 70 miles from the mainland.

Related on HuffPost:

From our partners

• How Two Determined Sisters Set Up A Pet Rescue Pipeline To Colorado - Mother Nature Network
• Panel Finds Flaws In Hurricane Sandy Warning System - Climate Central
• 11 Images And Facts About A Misunderstood Creature - Mother Nature Network

Comments

[Jerry Villano]

03:06 AM on 04/23/2012

Great for the salvage business!

[r2mad4this]

01:34 AM on 04/23/2012

My tides and wind from southward bring me lots of things. Abandoned boats, crabpot floats, dead sealife, etc. More stuff washing ashore won't make local shoreline look any different.
NOAA needs to get outside more. Join me on low tide sand bank. Wear some pvc boots.

[GOODDOC1]

05:13 AM on 04/23/2012

I used to find the glass float net balls. They were really nice. I had quite a few when I lived in Cordova.

[justgigging]

08:30 PM on 04/22/2012

BALLS.................

[Siebenstein]

02:04 PM on 04/22/2012

Frankly, I think some has already reached California/ L.A.-area. I walked my dogs a few days ago along the beach and I have never seen that much unnatural debri on the beach.

[yappnmutt]

01:01 PM on 04/22/2012

they have been finding stuff in canada for months now.

[lawa]

12:47 PM on 04/22/2012

cant see japan from my back yard but i can see their volleyballs.

[f2900]

12:01 PM on 04/22/2012

Wilson!

[lolyla]

12:33 PM on 04/22/2012

You beat me (and everybody) to it!

[Bellanova]

02:05 PM on 04/22/2012

Awful, isn't it? Meh. :)

[foreverfrerrtani]

02:28 PM on 04/22/2012

Dang it,you beat me to it XDDDD