About 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) offshore in Boston Bay, a distressed red kangaroo turned a routine job for a South Australian dive crew into an unexpected animal rescue.
The kangaroo appeared to paddle toward their boat as the crew approached. This rescue in Port Lincoln matters even more because the area is known for great white shark sightings.
Here's what to know
Van Dorn crew member Jake Murray and three coworkers were leaving the marina for a kingfish-farm inspection when their skipper, Ryan, saw an odd sight in the water, according to 7NEWS.
He said the group had set out at 7 a.m. and was organizing dive gear during what seemed like an ordinary day on the water.
"You'll see the usual suspects. You'll see birds, seals, dolphins," Murray said. "But Ryan, our skipper at the time, as we're getting the dive gear ready, just turned around a bit and went 'I think I saw a kangaroo'."
They located a red kangaroo that was well offshore and clearly exhausted.
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"He was a little bit knackered," Murray said. "It was amazing, as we were coming in closer he just swam up to the door like he knew what to do."
After lifting the kangaroo onto the boat, the crew brought it nearer to the mainland and released it on a beach, according to 7NEWS.
More background
The moment also stood out for Miguel, a crew member from the Galapagos Islands who, as 7NEWS reported, had never seen a kangaroo before — on land or anywhere else. He first saw one in open water.
They were traveling through a working coastal zone to inspect fish farms, and Murray said the national park is close to town.
While this incident ended in a rescue, unusual wildlife encounters often happen when animals are stressed, disoriented, or pushed into shared spaces — part of the broader context that can shape human-animal encounters.
What's being done?
After spotting the kangaroo, the Van Dorn crew dropped its fish-farm inspection plans and focused on getting the struggling animal to safety.
Murray said the kangaroo seemed to understand help was coming and swam toward the vessel, allowing the crew to bring it aboard.
Asked how the animal may have wound up so far offshore, Murray said the tides could have carried it out and noted that the national park lies close to town.
"You'll see more sharks out there than kangaroos, that's for sure," he said. "I think Skippy was lucky there was no big fish around that morning."
Where can I learn more?
This rescue is one of several unusual animal emergencies that required quick action. These stories cover more kangaroo recoveries, shoreline animal rescues, and another dramatic response off Australia's coast.
• Rescuers in Australia guided a kangaroo after it got trapped inside a parking garage.
• In southeast Missouri, a neighbor spotted a missing kangaroo named Roofus in a field, ending his weeklong disappearance.
• In Glen Cove, New York, beachgoers and lifeguards saved a raccoon clinging above the waves.
• Off Pollok Beach in Gqeberha, South Africa, rescuers pulled Bean from the swell after the dog drifted offshore.
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