Three fishermen, Mallerie Herrian, Cliff Russell, and Allan Russell, are close friends who enjoy going fishing together. This made it all the more perfect to turn such a hobby into a great business. They bought a fishing boat of their own and launched a fishing company.
Fishing has to be one of the most demanding tasks on the planet. It is important to get up early to plan and then prepare for what the sea might have in store. Fishermen also have to spend a lot of energy and time out there to bring home a lot of fish. Even though it can get hard, the three of them enjoy the time they get to spend together.
It was a day that was going to change their lives, but there was no way that they would have known it that early on. They all got ready to go as usual. Mallerie even felt good about the day ahead of them. However, she did not know what the day had in store for the entire gang. Who would have thought that getting the boat ready was actually the easiest part of the job?
Mallerie, Allan, and Cliff liked to pass the time by joking about and telling stories. Even though they knew each other for a very long time already, they always had something to talk about. Once they reached that spot, they switched off the boat’s engine and remained in the area. They always had great luck when they caught crabs there, so they hoped this day was going to be the same as ever.
When it was time to pull out the cages, the three of them were stunned by what they saw. It turned out to be their best day so far. They finished their work on that spot and thought they were going to be even luckier if they moved to the icier water. However, they knew that they were going to face more danger the farther out they took the boat. That far from the shore, they could not even see birds. However, they did not worry because everything seemed calm and peaceful. The truth was that this was not the case.
Who would have thought that there was something amiss in the background? You will find a lot of icebergs floating around the Labrador Sea. This makes the area dangerous even for fishermen with lots of experience. If this fisherman missed important details or took a wrong turn during the trip, it might result in an accident or even death.
Even though icebergs were common in this part of the ocean, there was something odd about this one in particular. They noticed something strange about the iceberg; however, none of them could put a finger on it. At the top, there was a dark spot.
It was impossible to figure out what it was because they were so far away. Mallerie thought it was a seal trying to enjoy the sun. After using his binoculars to look at the creature, Allan told the others that it did not look like a seal whatsoever. There was something odd about the way the animal moved. They agreed it was important to approach the iceberg some more. They were all curious now.
They knew it was risky to stray from the route they usually followed; however, Allan succeeded in convincing the others that this was worth the risk. It soon became clear that the creature stranded on top of the iceberg had fur. They could also tell that it was soaking wet. The wind was blowing hard over there, so they knew the tiny animal might not make it much further.
It was important for them to move slowly as they navigated the icy waters. They knew that their boat might suffer some damage if a piece of ice went underneath it. What made things even more challenging was the fact that the waves began to get higher. The movement of the boat started to get more precarious. Mallerie warned Allan and Cliff to be careful. They also feared that this poor animal would get so scared that it would simply jump into the water.
If they wanted to keep up with the iceberg, it was important for them to increase the boat speed. You can just imagine how much trickier it was to navigate to the iceberg. As they got near the iceberg, they could finally take a closer look at the animal. They saw that it had a shape similar to a dog. From there, they could see that the animal was shivering and soaking. It hit them that it was important to work together to save this poor creature.
They needed to do everything they could to ensure that it was not going to freeze to death. As they got closer to the iceberg, they finally realized what this animal actually was. It was not a seal; it was an arctic fox. They did not have time to wonder how it got there. The crew had to put their fishing expedition on hold until they figured out what they had to do.
The fox was freezing and wet; on top of that, it was running out of time to get to safety. They needed to save it, but there was another problem. Now, was the poor fox going to trust them with its life? The first thing they had to do was to tame this animal with their hands outstretched. However, this arctic fox was not like a tamed house pet at all. Instead of coming closer, it only moved away.
The fox then started to make its way to them; clearly, it realized that this was its only chance of escaping. The fox went up to the boat slowly. The fox was clearly scared and moved away from the fishermen right away. It huddled in the corner, all cold and wet.
It was important for them to warm up the fox before it passed away. Mallerie was the one in charge of steering the boat back home; however, they still had a couple of miles to go before they reached the shore. The others found sawdust in the boat, which might help keep the animal warm. They then took the sawdust and created a warm bed for the little critter. It should be enough to insulate heat. The fox buried itself in the sawdust in no time. They made sure to put it in the sunniest part of the boat too. They let it sleep as they made their way back to the shore.
The fox was warm and alive. For the meantime, Mallerie served the animal fish and crab, although it refused to eat them. They were so sure it was going to be hungry. Mallerie took out a couple of Vienna sausages, put them in the water, and gave them to the fox. It seems like the fox preferred this. After it finished all the sausages that they put down for him, the fox returned to sleep. It did not wake up again until they got to the shore.
After they all got to the Canadian shore, they had to figure out what they should do next for this animal. She recalled one particular spot that she thought was going to be perfect for this fox. She thought it was a good idea to release it there since it was not that far from the shore.
They let the fox make as many decisions as it wanted to. They put the bin on the ground not that far away from the doghouse. For a little while, the animal stayed inside the bin. However, it then climbed out of the enclosure. It shook the sawdust off its fur and began to look at the new environment as it started to explore its surroundings. It appeared to be settling down; as a matter of fact, it looked right at home over there.
Finally, it was time for them to head back to the dock and their boat. They managed to do what they set out to accomplish, so it was now time to go home. We are sure they will never ever forget this fateful day. It was a great adventure that they were going to treasure for the rest of their lives.
