Blue plastic ducks found beachcombing; Anyone else?

[SteveKL]

I just returned from a long trip in the Sound that included beach-combing on some pretty remote stretches of coastline. On two different beaches, 50 miles or more apart, I found a small blue plastic toy duck with a number written on the bottom.



My initial assumption was that the floating toy ducks were part of an ocean current experiment, and that a quick Google search would take me to a web site where I could let them know, "I found your duck # such-and-such as these coordinates" and then see where the duck came from, and where all his little ducky friends drifted to.

Instead, everything I can find online has to do with the 28,000 bathtub toys lost off a container ship in the early 1990's, and where they drifted over the ensuing decade-plus.

So, has anyone here ever come across a blue plastic duck with a number on the bottom? Any clue where they came from, or why?

[colonel00]

Google "Rubber Ducky Race" and you will see some results that may make sense. Now, as far as them arriving way up there, I guess they could have been taken out to see if the race was on a river and sent adrift.

[stid2677]

They have a "Duck Race" every year on the Chena River here in Fairbanks.

[BrownBear]

Yellow ducks in the Rotary race here, but set up is the same.

[stid2677]

I thought they used a net to catch them,, but them rubber ducks can be sneaky, saw a Dr on TV remove one from a person in the ER.