4 May 2021 A longstanding “mystery” has finally been solved after a wind and solar-powered research drone washed up on a beach last week in Victoria after contact was lost 18 month ago and the drone was left floating across the Southern Ocean. The Waratah Bay Marine Rescue (MSAR) members were called out last Monday to the Waratah Bay Surf Beach after, as Life Saving Victoria described it, an “Unidentified Floating Object” was discovered washed ashore. After searching “for any signs of extra terrestrial life” the MSAR members eventually discovered that the owner of the craft was the California-based developer, Saildrone. According to the Victoria Police, which was part of the effort to identify the mysterious floating drone, Saildrone launched three of its floating research drones back in 2019 from Bluff in New Zealand.