A British Army sailing crew got recently an unexpected passenger during a race around Britain and Ireland when an exhausted barn owl landed on their boat about 70 nautical miles from shore.
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The bird was found struggling in the open sea on Thursday while the crew of Fujitsu British Soldier was taking part in the 50th Anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race. According to Reuters, the sailors saw the owl fall into the water several times before it finally managed to reach the boat.
The exhausted bird then collapsed on the deck. The crew secured it with a towel and began looking after it as they continued towards the finish line at Cowes. They later named the owl Little Reg, before changing the name to Little Regina.
The Barn Owl Trust, Marine and Wildlife Rescue and Caister Independent Lifeboat also became involved in getting the bird safely back to shore while the Army Sailing Association crew continued the race.
Owl kept trying to reach boat
According to Sergeant Mark Petherbridge of 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, the bird tried to get onto the boat after falling from the mast and into the sea. "We thought we'd lost her, but she kept fighting her way back up and to the boat," Petherbridge said.
The bird had reportedly tried to land on the head of one of the crew members before tumbling into the water. It fell into the sea three times before eventually making it onto the deck.
