A Devon fisher has made an exciting discovery, catching a rare Lego shark that went missing nearly three decades ago. The toy was lost during the "Great Lego Spill of 1997," when a massive wave hit a cargo ship called the Tokio Express off the coast of Cornwall, sending five million Lego pieces overboard. Remarkably, some of these pieces are still washing up today.
Richard West, a 35-year-old fisherman from Plymouth, found the long-lost shark 20 miles south of Penzance on Tuesday. He was fishing for monkfish and sole aboard his boat, the Defiant FY848, when he spotted the toy on his fishing nets. West quickly identified it as a Lego shark from his childhood pirate ship set.
“It’s way better than any fish I’ve caught all week,” said West. “I’m so happy about it.” The plastic shark, which West has named Sharky, is worn from years underwater and is missing its dorsal fin.
The Lego Lost at Sea project, founded by Tracey Williams, confirmed the shark as the first-ever reported piece from the spill. “Richard and I now have joint custody of the shark,” Williams said.
The Lego sharks were part of several sets from 1997, including Shark Cage Cove and Shark Attack. The lost container held 51,800 sharks, both dark and light grey. Many other sea-themed pieces from the spill, like life rafts and scuba tanks, have also been found.
Earlier this year, a 13-year-old boy discovered a “holy grail” Lego octopus on a Marazion beach. With only 4,200 octopuses in the lost container, they are considered the most prized finds.
Williams started the Lego Lost at Sea project as a fun summer activity. It has since grown into a global effort with over 80,000 followers on Facebook and X, uniting beachcombers who track where the Lego and other cargo pieces wash up. Williams has also published a book about her work and is mapping the findings for a scientific paper.
The project not only creates an archive of our times but also raises awareness about plastic pollution. “It’s encouraged people to get into beach cleaning and other environmental action,” Williams said. “Sorting through plastic can be overwhelming, but it’s strangely cathartic—order from chaos.”
