Robert Leslie, Image courtesy Stena Drilling, click for larger
While operating north of the Shetland Islands, the crew of the Stena Carron drillship crew rescues an unexpected stowaway…
With the Stena Carron less than a month away from successfully completing 1 year without an MTO (medical treatment only case), all personnel were extra vigilant. The 5 soft barriers were in full swing during every operation. On the Stena Carron however, it’s not just the staff we were looking out for…
One dark winter’s night, Robert Leslie, a roustabout on-board the Carron, was making his way forward to the bosons store when he heard strange noises. He stopped, looked around, and to his surprise, found an owl sitting on the steel deck.
The owl was assumed to have found it’s way on-board during a recent transit through sheltered waters. By the time Bob found it, it had run out of food, energy, and the will to live. Little did this little owl know, today was was his lucky day.
Bob is a keen bird spotter and lover of wildlife in general, ever vigilant for the breaching of the porpoise or whale and calling it in. Quickly identifying that ‘Olly’ (as he named his charge) was a little worse for wear, Bob sprang to action with the dynamics of a full sprint gazelle. He gently picked up and caressed the Owl and called for immediate back up via a Stena Carron APB (All Points Bulletin) announcement.
Image courtesy Stena Drilling, click for larger
Support quickly came from a number of directions – the owl now had a chance.
Olly was placed in a top-of-the-line cardboard box– the plushest onboard at the time which had been used to package and ship watermelons. Not only demonstrating a love of earthly creatures, but enforcing the law, the owl being a protected bird, the Marine crew skillfully modified the box to include ventilation and viewing ports. An owl bed was made from some of the most luxurious rags onboard before the catering dept were persuaded to provide the finest of dining and refreshments.
8 hours later, Olly had priority boarding on the helicopter and was flown back to Shetland where Shetlands RSPCA was waiting.
Subsequently, several more owls have been found on board and safely sent back to shore.
Happy Ending for some lost owls!
A special mention to Stevie Duncan for enquiring with logistics as to the cost of the chopper seat for Olly which he was willing to pay for himself. ‘Caring for Each Other’ a boundary extended to embrace all creatures Great & Small. Well done lads.
Republished with permission via Stena Drilling‘s Flowline Magazine
Sellers of Iranian oil to China are offering deeper discounts this month as they look to reduce inventories and as independent refiners slow their buying due to a jump in crude prices, traders and analysts said.
Britain has issued tougher new environmental rules for fossil fuel projects with implications for the development of two vast North Sea oil and gas fields by Shell and Equinor.
The firm building what will become the largest port in India plans to raise as much as 300 billion rupees ($3.5 billion) of debt, giving lenders an opportunity to invest in one of the cornerstones of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s infrastructure overhaul.
June 19, 2025
Total Views: 659
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 109,305 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 109,305 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.