CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For nearly a decade, marine scientist Jace Tunnell has combed the Texas Coastal Bend, finding everything from a prosthetic leg to a 35-foot sailboat.
But his latest recurring discovery is a new one: dozens of floating piggy banks, sometimes finding up to 14 in a single day.
While the finds might suggest a lost shipping container, Tunnell says the truth is less dramatic. The banks, mostly manufactured in the Dominican Republic and Guatemala, are simply discarded trash.
“Once these piggy banks have been used, you’ll notice there’s a bunch of cuts in them. There’s no other way to get the money out,” Tunnell said.
He also said that because they are lightweight and hollow, they float away during heavy rains, enter river systems, and catch ocean currents that carry them straight to the Texas coast.
Tunnell encourages beachgoers to properly dispose of the banks or take them home as souvenirs. Just don’t expect to find a fortune inside.