Gary helps with albatross rescue

On Saturday Gary helped with the rescue of an old friend of his. A local charter fisherman, Ian Croucher saw a female Gibsons wanderer with close to 100m of braided fishing line wrapped tightly around her legs. He immediately called Gary who encouraged him to 'have a go'! at retreiving the bird onto his boat. Other than a knock on the head from one of her wings Ian managed to get the bird onto his boat and bring her into the marina. Gary met him there and the pair of them preceded to cut the line off her and were pleased to see the blood return to her leg and no apparent permanent damage.

Once the bird was cut free Gary took her back out to sea on Lissodelphis (one of the Dolphin Encounter vessels) where he released her and after a stretch of her wings she was happy to use both feet to sim off.

This female is special to Gary as she is the most sighted banded bird in the Kaikoura region. She is a 15 year old female Gibsons who is known to have had 3 different attempts at courship with no success (she is still single!) - Gary thinks it is because she knows how beautiful she is!

There is no doubt that without the keen eyes of Ian Croucher and both the skippers freeing her she would not have lasted long, so a great story.

See the Marlborough Express article.