World's Biggest Rubber Ducky Doesn't Make a Splash

The world’s biggest rubber duck didn’t quite make the splash it was hoping for over the weekend in Philadelphia.

The 61-foot duck was expected to float down the Delaware for the Philadelphia Camden Tall Ships Festival. But it was a flop, after unsuccessful attempts to repair a tear that happened early in the festival, followed by nasty weather.

The duck suffered a 60-foot tear on Thursday, the opening day of the festival, NJ.com reported.

Her handlers worked to repair her throughout that day and the next. She was fixed and inflated Saturday, but only for about 15 minutes, according to the Inquirer.

The winds and rain caused another tear Saturday, this time a 20-foot gash. “She spent Saturday night on the ground in a heap at least 50 feet in diameter that became weighed down with pockets of rainwater,” the Inquirer said.

The ducks’ absence caused distress among some festival goers, who took to its Facebook profile to express their frustration.

“Biggest disappointment ever. Went there literally 3 days and the duck never made it. I seriously hope the duck comes back and free of charge to make up for all the disappointed little ones if anything,” one Facebook user wrote on the duck’s profile.

“Greatly disappointed that it’s NOT up at the Philadelphia / Camden waterfront. Nothing but lame excuses as to why not. Yet they still advertise that its there,” another person wrote.

“My hopes of seeing the duck today have been deflated,” another said.

The colossal rubber ducky, whose presence was hyped for weeks leading up to the event, is the latest version of an iconic floating sculpture originally created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, according to Visit Philadelphia.