Japanese Tsunami Yields Up a Real-Life “Life of Pi” Scene
Two years and 11 days after the 2011 tsunami ravaged Japan’s coast, a 20-foot boat called the Sai-shou-maru washed up on the Washington coast near Long Beach. Empty of human life, it carried an unusual live cargo: five striped beakfish, with some “30 to 50 species of plants and animals” total, said staff at Washington State’s Department of Ecology. Pictures of stowaways include anemones, crabs, marine worms, and shellfish — all of which Ecology was careful to round up, as they are potentially invasive species.
The boat was traced back to its owner in Japan, confirming that it was swept away by the tsunami. Since the owner doesn’t want it returned, Washington State Parks may make a permanent loan of the Sai-shou-maru to the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. Meanwhile, scientists would like to know if the fish really survived a two-year journey in an open boat, and if so, how. Maybe Life of Pi — Richard Parker aside — is more credible a story than at first glance.
NOAA continues to track the progress of marine debris created by the tsunami, and are refining a model using observational data, such as the boat’s landfall. In that sense, it’s more of a “hindcast” than a forecast, they say. They encourage people who see debris to report it, not just so it can be collected, but for the scientific value of knowing when and where objects have washed up. Debris spotted on the Washington coast can be called in to 1-855-WACOAST (1-855-922-6278). You can email findings to DisasterDebris@noaa.gov, just please include time, date, location, and photographs of suspected tsunami debris items.
