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Strange catch: Florida boat captain rescues stranded vultures found in the Gulf near the keys

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Published  January 21, 2025 6:40pm EST
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando

Boat captain rescues stranded vultures found off Florida keys

A charter boat captain and sport fisherman didn't catch what he was expecting when he came across a pile of vultures out on the Gulf. He was able to rescue some of the birds. FOX 35's Kelsie Carines got to talk to the boat captain about the wild experience.

The Brief

    • A charter boat captain came across a pile of vultures out on the Gulf.
    • He says he encountered more than 150 of them while out on the private charter.
    • He rescued any birds he saw that were still fighting to survive.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida charter boat captain and sports fisherman has quite a fishing story.

What we know:

As he was out on a boat charter recently, Captain Brandon Storin came across a pile of vultures out on the Gulf.

Many of the birds of prey were dead, but he was able to rescue as many as he could, he says.

He says he encountered more than 150 of them while out on the private charter.

What they're saying:

"It was just a big black pile of em' and you saw lots of individuals scattered about," Storin said.

The group was located about 35 miles northwest of Islamorada where the Everglades meets the Gulf of Mexico.

Credit: Brandon Storin

They were at least four miles away from any semblance of land, Storin said. "They were trying to stand on each other to prevent themselves from drowning," he said.

The birds of prey are known to use any wind source to fly. However, it is possible they got caught up in a storm throwing them off their path, causing them to fall from the sky, he said.

So, he rescued any birds he saw that were still fighting to survive, and charted them to the closest land he and his crew could find, all the while operating his charter for his customers.

Storin said, "We fished the other half of the day with a bunch of turkey vultures spreading their wings out on my boat which is six feet wide and I felt like two or three other captains passed by me that day seeing them on the boat being like 'what's going on over there?!' it was — it was really hilarious."

"Never have I ever come across anything like that!"

The Source: The information in this article comes from reporting done by FOX 35 reporter Kelsie Cairns.

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