- A park ranger at the island nature reserve south of Port Aransas shared a video Wednesday showcasing materials found on the beach during a recent combing.
- Ranger Eric explained that the rubber dates back to 1944 and was originally carried on a Nazi cargo ship transporting raw materials as part of the war effort.
- In Brazil, there have even been reported vehicle accidents on the beach due to the volume of rubber pallets washing ashore.
If you’re walking the shores of Mustang Island State Park this summer and spot some weird bricks of black material embedded in the sand, you may be looking at a chunk of history.
WWII-era nazi cargo
A park ranger at the island nature reserve south of Port Aransas shared a video Wednesday showcasing materials found on the beach during a recent combing.
The footage starts with an explanation of the algae (or sargassum, as it’s called) that has been piling up on beaches at the 18-mile barrier island (yes, it smells. And yes, it’s going to be there all summer).
Ranger Eric, who has posted many a beach-combing video while going about his duties in the park, then transitioned to a more interesting find: a bale of rubber from a World War II German cargo ship partially buried in the surf.
Ranger Eric explained that the rubber dates back to 1944 and was originally carried on a Nazi cargo ship transporting raw materials as part of the war effort prior to being sunk by American forces off the coast of Brazil.
Previous mysterious object incidents
This isn’t the first time hunks of cargo from this particular ship have arrived on American shores, however.
In March of 2022 Padre Island National Seashore rangers likewise reported finding similar bales of rubber.
The park posted images of the material, which it claims were originally carried aboard the SS Rio Grande, a Nazi blockade runner that was transporting copper, cobalt, tin and crude shipments of rubber off the coast of Brazil when it was discovered by the USS Omaha and USS Jouett—heavy American naval vessels that promptly bombarded and sank the German ship.
Vehicle accident on beach
Crew members of the blockade runner were able to escape prior to the attack, according to a Marine Environmental Research paper published in 2021, but the Rio Grande’s cargo went down with ship.
In the past five years, hundreds of bales of rubber have resurfaced on Brazilian beaches, as well as a few appearing on the shores of Texas more recently.
In Brazil, there have even been reported vehicle accidents on the beach due to the volume of rubber pallets washing ashore.
In any case, keep your head on a swivel if you’re running on the shoreline this summer. You might stub your toe on a piece of history.
Did you subscribe to our Newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe.
Source: Chron
