Antes de los días de las boyas de plástico, a veces se utilizaban bolas de vidrio para suspender las grandes redes de pesca. Al parecer, la mayoría de las bolas encontradas en Alaska, provienen de barcos de pesca japoneses. Ésta foto muestra una justo donde se encontró, en la costa exterior y con Fairweather Range (la cordillera Fairweather) al fondo. Su superficie parece pulida con chorro de arena, y su fondo está cubierto por restos de percebes. Parece un milagro que haya sobrevivido tantos años, tal vez haya pasado décadas a la deriva en el norte del Pacífico, antes de terminar en esta solitaria playa de arena.

Before the days of plastic fishing floats, glass balls were sometimes used to suspend large fishing nets. Most glass floats found in Alaska are apparently from Japanese fishing vessels. This one is pictured exactly where it was found on the outer coast with the Fairweather Range in the background. The surface looks almost sand-blasted and the bottom is covered with the remnants of barnacles. It seems something of a miracle it survived years, perhaps decades adrift in the North Pacific before weaving a gauntlet of rocks and breakers to end up on this isolated sandy beach. Photographer: Bill Eichenlaub