The Old Man of the Lake

Crater Lake is a pristine body of water set inside a caldera in Oregon. One noteworthy feature of it is a thirty-foot long log that has been drifting around in the water for more than one hundred years. It's called the "Old Man of the Lake":

It was first discovered in 1896 by a man named Joseph Diller, who, six years later, would later publish the first geology of the park. He noted the presence of a large piece of wood which was completely untethered, able to move throughout the lake as dictated by the wind and waves.

The Old Man's movements can be erratic and extensive. In 1938, researchers tracked the Old Man's movement over three months, beginning in July, and by the end of the observation period in September, the Old Man traveled over sixty miles. In order to keep boats safe, those who sail on Crater Lake, as a matter of course, advise their fellow boat pilots of the Old Man's position.

Link | Photo: Wikimedia Commons