Air traffic delays are usually cause for stress, but on Monday, staff at an Alaskan airport halted flights when they found an unusual guest sunbathing on the runway. A 450-pound bearded seal (complete with an endearing snow mustache) was comfortably splayed out on the tarmac, unfazed by his surroundings. The small Arctic Ocean community of Utqiagvik, on the northern coast of Alaska, is used to polar bears, caribou, and even musk ox visiting their landing strip; however, this is the first time a seal has ever made an appearance.
Airport officials around the world often have to keep an eye out for animals wandering onto the tarmac, both for the wildlife and passengers' protection. "Wildlife strikes to aircraft pose a significant safety hazard and cost the aviation industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year," Meadow Bailey, the Alaska Department of Transportation's communications director, told local news channel KTVA. "Birds make up over 90% of strikes in the US, while mammal strikes are rare."
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Bailey believes that heavy storms on Monday caused the seal to end up at Wiley-Post Will Rogers Memorial Airport. But the Department of Transportation isn't allowed to handle marine mammals, so to safely transport the friendly critter, airport staff called in North Slope Animal Control. The seal was removed by sled, allowing air traffic to resume soon after. But that didn't stop a slew of next-level seal puns from making their way to the internet. A "low ceiling" warning usually signifies low clouds and poor visibility, but Monday the Department of Transportation issued a "low sealings" warning at the airport. And Wiley Airport foreman Scott Babcock shared a photo and video of the adorable sunbather with the caption "FOD," airport slang for "Foreign Object Debris."
So the next time you fly out to Alaska, keep an eye on the runway when you're landing—you might be able to start sightseeing before you even leave the airport.
