Just over a year ago, Devon fisherman Richard West made an unexpected catch — a small Lego shark tangled in his trawl net while working at sea. He immediately recognised it as part of the famous lost Lego consignment that went overboard nearly thirty years ago, when the cargo ship Tokio Express was struck by a freak wave off the Cornish coast.

The discovery captured imaginations across local, national and international media. Now, this remarkable little shark — still encrusted with marine worm tubes from its decades-long voyage — is set to feature in Eldreds’ Collectors’ Sale Catalogue, with proceeds going to Cancer Research UK and The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen.

When Richard found the shark, it became the first of its kind to be reported to the Lego Lost at Sea Project. The global citizen science initiative tracks pieces from the 4.75 million Lego items — including nearly 52,000 sharks — lost in the Tokio Express spill. The project aims to shed light on how plastic pollution travels and degrades in the ocean, encouraging beachcombers to report Lego finds via the Lego Lost at Sea Facebook page.

Since its discovery, the little shark has continued to make waves — appearing in photos atop a Routemaster bus, chatting with a polar bear on an ice floe, taking a spin on a hovercraft, and even making a friend on the Star Wars planet Kashyyyk.

Now seeking a new home — and perhaps more adventures — the Lego shark will go under the hammer at Eldreds’ Collectors’ Items, Books, Stamps, Coins, Medals & Toys Auction on 30 October, with public viewing on Tuesday and Wednesday before the sale.

Anyone who finds pieces from the original consignment is encouraged to report them via the Lego Lost At Sea Facebook group.