Seal hitches ride on Dolphin
A major operation involving the US Coast Guard (USCG) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration took place in April – transporting ‘R1KU’, an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, from Kauai to Oahu, Hawaii, and back again.
A major operation involving the US Coast Guard (USCG) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration took place in April – transporting ‘R1KU’, an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, from Kauai to Oahu, Hawaii, and back again. This particular breed of seal is one of the world’s rarest marine mammals – the estimated global population is 1,200. A member of the ‘true seal’ family, the animal is from one of only two remaining species of monk seal.
The first mission involved a C-130 plane from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point flying the ill seal to Oahu in order for specialist medical staff to treat a life-threatening eye infection. The seal then needed to be taken back, with an H-65 Dolphin helicopter providing the return flight.
“We were able to land within yards of the rehab centre, eliminating the one-hour land transport from the facility to our air station and the additional stress placed on the animal,” commented Eric Roberts, marine mammal response co-ordinator for the 14th Coast Guard District. Safeguarding marine mammals is one of the 11 statutory missions mandated for the Coast Guard.
A video of the operation can be viewed below:
Mandy Langfield
Mandy Langfield is a Director of Palladium Media Partners and former Publishing Director at Voyageur Group. She has written extensively on international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision, and air medical transportation. She was Editor of AirMed&Rescue from December 2017 until April 2021. Her favourite helicopter is the Chinook, having grown up near an RAF training ground.