Plastic ducks take to the water for annual event

HUNDREDS of plastic ducks dived off the Barwon Heads Footbridge on Easter Saturday in the annual Great Barwon River Duck Race.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove, the funds from the event are donated to local charities and community and environmental groups.

This year’s event included about 30 corporate ducks, 350 preschooler’s blue ducks and 2,000 yellow ducks for the adults.

Even organiser Heather Wilson said each year the race was dependent on the wind and tide, with this year’s tide causing a short delay.

“The wind gods were with us.

“There was very little and the wind that was there mostly blew them [the ducks] towards the Ozone Jetty.

“But the tide gods, which can be unpredictable according to the fisherman, meant that the tide was still going out two hours after low tide.

“We delayed the race for 30 minutes and the corporate ducks took a while to move, but the rest moved pretty well.”

Spectators also turned out in support of the race, lining the footbridge and watching as the ducks made their way down the river.

Ms Wilson said the highlight of the event was always tipping the yellow ducks off the bridge.

“It’s like a huge giant yellow waterfall and you get a good view of it from the jetty where the At the Heads restaurant is.”

While the funds from the event are still being finalised, it is estimated between $25,000 and $27,000 will have been raised from the race, making it a similar amount to previous years.

The race has been going for at least the past 25 years and throughout its history has been organised and run by different groups, with 2025 marking Rotary’s fifth year of running it.

Ms Wilson said the race would return in 2026, with the date to be determined by the tide.