When working at an offshore oil rig, you don’t expect to get any visitors. But that’s exactly what workers in New Zealand were met with recently. While a group of them were busy with their usual tasks, someone spotted a tiny fur seal onboard the oil rig. From what they can tell, the baby seal found his way onto a supply basket while it was in port.
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Unfortunately, the workers didn’t notice until the animal had been lifted 40 meters into the air. This made it more challenging for the workers to find the best way to free the trapped creature. Luckily, though, they were able to get in contact with someone at the Department of Conservation hotline (DOCHOT). In the end, the seal was placed into a crate and gently lowered to sea level.
@yahooaustralia Mystery as workers discover surprise creature 40km out to sea 🦭 #yahoonews #yahooaustralia ♬ original sound – Yahoo Australia
When a Baby Fur Seal Becomes an Adorable Stowaway, Oil Rig Workers Go the Extra Mile to Keep Him Safe
The oil rig workers themselves came up with this plan before they even made their phone call. Still, they wanted confirmation from experts that they were doing the right thing. They didn’t know, after all, if the young seal was ready to venture out on his own. The person who took their call, Hohepa Katipa-Nepia, shares what it was like to take such an unusual call.
“I got to work finding a DOC ranger to give advice on how to handle the situation. In the meantime, a worker from the platform stayed on the line, explained what they were doing, and gave details of their plan to return to the seal to the sea,” Hohepa explains. “Once we tracked down a ranger to give the plan the okay, it all went off without a hitch.”
While the seal is still young, Hohepa says that now is around the time when he “should be weaned” and “off adventuring on their own.”
As for the oil rig workers… well, they’re still pretty shocked that the seal found his way to them in the first place, though they’re more than happy they could help an animal in need.
“Safety is the heart of our business, ensuring everyone gets home safely to their loved ones each day is the priority,” general manager Kevin Goulet says, “and this seal was no exception.”
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