Giant rotating ice disk draws attention, visitors

Giant rotating ice disk draws attention, visitors


1 photo
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) — Think of it as a crop circle, but in a river.

A curious formation that's getting attention in Greater Portland is actually a spinning ice disk that is roughly 100 yards (91 meters) wide.

The formation in the Presumpscot River was widely shared on social media and has drawn comparisons to an alien spacecraft, a carousel and the moon.

The oddity drew a crowd that stood mesmerized by the slow-turning disk Tuesday afternoon in Westbrook.

The ice formation is believed to have formed naturally in a part of the river where there's a circular current that creates a whirlpool effect, said Tina Radel, the city's marketing and communications manager.

Locals say they've seen smaller ice disks before, but nothing like this one, Radel said.

Rob Mitchell, who owns a nearby office building, spotted the alien-looking disk Monday morning and immediately notified the city.

Officials say the disk is spinning slowly counter-clockwise, and has served as a big raft for ducks and other birds. "The ducks were rotating on this big Lazy Susan," Mitchell said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos

Most recent Features stories

The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast