A large yellow buoy that floated ashore in Atlantique over the weekend of August 9 has become the most photographed backdrop for beachgoers. Measuring about 14 feet by 6 feet, the bright buoy lay stranded along the high-water line, partially buried in sand.
The buoy first appeared in the surf on Friday evening and washed fully ashore by Saturday. Curious beachgoers approached it in puzzlement, while Atlantique lifeguards cordoned off the area with ropes and wooden stakes. There were no clear markings identifying its owner or purpose, aside from “GL-0121” stenciled on its side. A small electronic box labeled “Orca Hydrophone” led many to believe it was a device for tracking orca whales in the North Atlantic.
“What is it?” asked one small boy, as others speculated it might be a spy satellite. A group of men nearby confidently declared it was a weather buoy, while others suggested it had fallen off a ship. “Where’s the anchor chain?” one man asked. “I think it’s a Baba Booey!” another shouted, referencing the Howard Stern show.
Speculation also ran wild on a local Fire Island community Facebook page. “Who gets the finder’s reward?” one commenter asked, while another joked, “Dude, we got your buoy.”
Upon closer inspection, I spotted a small barcode with a serial number indicating that the buoy belonged to Boskalis, a Dutch company partnered with Orsted, a major player in the wind farm industry. The two firms are prime contractors for the Revolution Wind Project, now under construction off the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut. A quick check of a real-time marine tracking app showed Boskalis operating two ships in the Rhode Island area, installing massive base columns for wind turbines. Multiple emails to the company went unanswered as of late Sunday.
By Sunday afternoon, the novelty of the big yellow object seemed to have worn off. Lifeguards removed the ropes and stakes, leaving the buoy to sit on the sand for another night. Only a few children ran circles around it, while the adults—having already taken more than enough photos —wandered back to their beach chairs.
Update: The buoy was hauled away from the Atlantique location on August 12, by Bang’s Towing, Inc. of Amityville.
