A giant rubber duck appeared at a harbor in Belfast, Maine, on the weekend of Aug. 14-15, and it remains unclear why it floated in.
The big inflated rubber duck, which stands approximately 25-feet-high, appeared in Belfast Harbor with the word “Joy” on its front. Harbor Master Katherine Given told the Bangor Daily News she heard rumors the duck floated in from Islesboro, a small island in Penobscot Bay.
“Everybody loves it,” Given said. “I have no idea who owns it, but it kind of fits Belfast. A lot of people want to keep it here.”
The duck has been a hit on social media, with people sharing photos of it with friends and strangers alike. Boaters have rowed or motored up to the duck to get a closer look. https://t.co/amLA4qGeKu
— Bangor Daily News (@bangordailynews) August 16, 2021
Given said there are no plans to relocate or remove the duck from the water. “If it was in the middle of the mooring field, it could be kind of a navigational hazard,” she reportedly added. “Where it’s in the shallow water, it’s not bothering anybody.” (RELATED: ‘Big Yellow Duck’ meme banned by Chinese social media)
The harbormaster said she is waiting for someone to claim it, but for now, it is bringing “joy” to residents. “It’ll be interesting to see if somebody tries to take it out of here how far they’ll get,” she said, according to the outlet. “Even one of the shorefront property owners came by and said, ‘Oh, we love that.’ It’s good fun.”
Portland residents Susie Dickinson also told the outlet the duck is “cheery.” “It’s definitely eye-catching,” she said. Judy Herman of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, told New England Cable News, “it’s wonderful. Who would expect to see a duck in the middle of the water here?”