He was 20 miles out in the cold ocean, checking his traps. Then he heard a strange cry...
Alistair is a crab fisherman, and he's used to the rough, open sea. He and his helper, a young guy named Finn, work in the cold water all day.
They had been working for three hours, and the boat was rocking on the big, gray waves. Alistair was working the machine to pull up the traps when he thought he heard something. It was a high-pitched squeak, like a bird, carried by the wind.
He motioned to Finn to turn off the engine. The boat got quiet, except for the sound of the waves. He heard the sound again, but it was weaker this time.
Alistair grabbed his binoculars and looked across the water. About 50 yards away, he saw it: a tiny, dark spot floating all alone.
It was a baby sea otter. It must have been separated from its mother in a storm. The baby was weak and getting very cold
Alistair knew you're not supposed to
mess with wild animals. But he also knew that little pup would be dead in an hour. He couldn't let that happen.
He drove the boat over slowly. He leaned over the side with his long net and gently lifted the shivering, scared animal out of the water.
It was freezing cold and crying. Alistair ran to his cabin, got a clean towel, and wrapped the baby up tightly.
He wasn't a vet, but he was a dad. He remembered he had an old baby bottle and some milk powder on the boat, which he kept for stray cats at the dock.
He warmed the milk with water from his kettle. He sat down and held the otter like a newborn baby. Finn was touched seeing the tough fisherman being so gentle, so he quietly took out his phone.
"Easy now, little one," Alistair whispered. His rough voice got softer as the tiny animal finally started to drink. "Gotcha. You're safe now."
Alistair ended his fishing trip early, even though it meant losing a day's pay. He radioed the coast. A wildlife rescue team was waiting for them at the dock to take the pup to a place where they could care for it