Beach-goers in Brevard County are boggled — where did a large buoy grounded on a section of sand come from?

  • Beach-goers, officials try to guess origins of large buoy
  • One possibility -- buoy came from Caribbean after Irma
  • Call Port Canaveral Coast Guard w/ info on buoy

It's one of the quieter parts of the Brevard County coastline: a sliver of sand in Satellite Beach south of the Pineda Causeway, lined with condos.

The serene setting nowadays is a buzz with curious onlookers who've spotted this sight.

"I thought it was an igloo, or a prank!” exclaimed Micki Cartwright, who lives in Suntree.

The retired librarian usually beach walks north of the area.  

She decided to head south one day and ran across the large, heavy, weathered navigational buoy stuck in the sand.

"Could have drifted in from all the damage in the islands?" Cartwright said.

A possibility is that the mystery marker made its way from the Caribbean after Hurricane Irma struck. It's been spotted on different beaches over the past few weeks, but seems to be entrenched here.

Spectrum News 13 checked with Port Canaveral, and it's not their buoy.

We also called the Coast Guard at the port, and it turns out we actually notified them about it. Their Marine Safety Division is now looking into the buoy's origin.

The word is also spreading on the city of Satellite Beach's Facebook page, where locals are posting pictures and posing questions.

That's all Micki can do for now, as her new walking path includes an unusual landmark.

"That's the really big question," Cartwright said.

If you have any information about the buoy, call the Coast Guard Port Canaveral.