A Washington State Ferry crew and its passengers got an unexpected holiday preview Monday night when they spotted a glowing Christmas tree perched atop a drifting dock in the middle of Puget Sound.
The ferry Chimacum, making its late run between Seattle and Bremerton on Sept. 8, slowed after coming upon the unusual sight: a detached dock floating with an upright, fully lit Christmas tree.
Video posted on TikTok shows passengers lining the rails, craning for a better view as the crew shone a spotlight on the dock. “Who’s missing a dock?” one rider can be heard asking in another clip shared to YouTube.
Adding to the festive spirit, the captain played Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” over the loudspeaker, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Atop the tree, lights formed the illusion of a bright yellow star, though no presents were spotted beneath it.
“Christmas came early,” one passenger was heard saying.
After determining no one was in danger, the ferry resumed its voyage, leaving the twinkling tree to drift off into the night.
Clips of the scene quickly spread on social media, where users offered their own theories. One joked it was the start of a Hallmark Christmas movie about a tree that goes to the big city to adorn the Space Needle, “but none of the other saplings believe in him.”
Another suggested the tree had been “floating the Puget Sound peacefully ever since” escaping post-holiday cleanup last January. One simply described the spectacle as “so Washington core.” Totally.
Puget Press has reached out to Washington State Ferries to see if they’ll be adding “floating tree escort” to the job description.
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