Anyone who enjoys beachcombing on the north west coast of the Isle of Man is in for a surprise find - thousands of potatoes!
Huge numbers of potatoes have been washed up on the beaches north of Ballaugh and appear to have arrived since the deluge of rain on Monday, suggesting that a potato field close to a river may have been flooded and the crop has ended up washed out to sea.
However, another theory which is more plausible is that part of a cargo of potatoes has been lost overboard from a ship in the Irish Sea and has now started washing up on Manx beaches. The age of the potatoes suggests they have been in the sea for several days.
The potatoes have been discovered all along the north west coast of the Island by local volunteer beach cleaning organisation Beach Buddies in the last 48 hours.
Bill Dale of Beach Buddies first discovered the potatoes at Ballaugh Cronk and has since found more on the beaches at The Lhen, Blue Point and Smeale.
“It’s not exactly what you expect to find on the beaches,” he said.
“I’m more used to huge numbers of plastic bottles and tins cans. But I reckon the number of potatoes is giving the plastic bottles a run for their money at the moment.”
He estimates there could be as many as 2,000 potatoes on the beaches, but beachcombers who think they are in for free food can forget it.
He added, “The potatoes are pretty rotten and are definitely not in any way fit to eat. Beach Buddies will not be collecting any as they appear to be providing food for seabirds and other small animals.
“Some of the potatoes are in a very advanced stage of decomposition and I reckon it will be only a few days and a few more high tides before they turn into gunge.
“I think the theory that they were washed overboard from a ship is the most likely, as it’s obvious they have been in the water for several days. However, it’s not out of the question that they were growing in a field and the river broke its banks and washed the potatoes away to the sea.
“I’m open to suggestions, but we’ll probably never know where they came from.”
Beach Buddies runs regular beach cleaning sessions all over the Isle of Man. For more information - beachbuddies@manx.net.
