Like some sort of exciting treasure hunt, the people of Cornwall have been finding Lego after Lego toy washing up on the shores of the Cornish coast for 17 years.

Coincidentally, many of the Lego toys found on the beach has a marine theme - ranging from tiny flippers to spear guns, diver's masks, life preservers and plastic seaweed.

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Many miniature daisies have also been found, usually in groups of twos or threes.

Tracey Williams, the creator of a Facebook page dedicated to these plastic Lego treasures, said, "These days the holy grail is an octopus or a dragon." Williams knows of only three octopuses being found, one by her in a cave in Challaborough, Devon.

The Legos found their way to the shore when the container ship Tokio Express, carrying around five million of the tiny toys, was hit by a huge wave 20 miles off Lands End in 1997. The ship managed to stay afloat, but 62 of its Lego-filled containers fell overboard.

Since then, those lost Lego pieces have been washing up on Cornwall's shores.

Although the treasure trove of plastic toys has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon amongst the people of Cornwall, it is not without its environmental repercussions, The Lego pieces have become part of the trash now floating in the world's waters.

US oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer has been keeping a close eye on the story of the lost Lego toys since the 1997 spill. He said that these lost toys can educate us on how ocean currents flow.

Around 20 years ago, another cargo ship spilled a container full of cigarette lighters. To this day, the lighters can still be found washing on the shores of Cornwall.

TagsLego, Cornwall, Cornish coast, Tokio Express, ocean currents, oceanography