Dragons and Sharks on a Beach Near You: The Story of the Great Lego Spill
Nearly five million Lego pieces plunged into the sea in 1997. The pieces are still showing up — on England’s coast, in Ireland, Belgium, France and possibly at the beach near you.
Nearly five million Lego pieces plunged into the sea in 1997. The pieces are still showing up — on England’s coast, in Ireland, Belgium, France and possibly at the beach near you.
Many come to Perranporth Beach, near Cornwall, looking for Lego bricks that fell off a cargo ship in 1997 and are still washing up. Tracey Williams has been documenting Lego finds from that ship for years. Credit... Guy Martin for The New York Times
On a miserable, drizzly day in late June, Hayley Hardstaff, a marine biologist, took a walk along Portwrinkle Beach in Cornwall, England, and discovered a dragon. It was a Lego piece — black, plastic and missing its upper jaw.
Ms. Hardstaff, who grew up in Cornwall, had a long history of finding Lego pieces. As a child there, she collected them from the beach, puzzled about why so many children were forgetting their toys.
