When I was in Selfridges last week, looking around the Ocean Project, I was horrified by the idea that there is so much rubbish in our sea.  Sadly, I was unsurprised, because when we are miles away from land, sailing along on our comfortable cruise ship, there is occasionally a little bunch of rubbish floating in the water.  This particular cruise company, like others, places huge emphasis on caring for the environment and abides by the international conventions when it comes to keeping our seas clean and free from rubbish.  Still, it’s a drop in the ocean, so to speak.

What particularly intrigued me, however, was this.

The concept of the ocean currents sweeping much of this rubbish up and concentrating it all in “swirls” in particular parts of the world.  My understanding of ocean currents was sufficient for me to express a quiet “well, duh…”  to myself.  Of course this would happen.  I recalled the progress of the plastic ducks and the story book about the sandwich box lost by a Japanese girl and how it ended up in British Columbia.

Then, this morning on the news, I heard about this and an expert on ocean currents use a word that I’d not come across until last week, when I read it in Selfridges, referring to the “swirl” in the Pacific ocean which is the size of Texas.

Gyre.

That it should crop up again within days is uncanny.

So there we are.  My word of the week.

Gyre.

Much better than “swirl”, don’t you agree?