By Sarah Lagan
Published Jul 22, 2015 at 8:00 am (Updated Jul 22, 2015 at 12:48 am)

Visitors help save baby longtail from drowning.

Longtime visitors to Bermuda Susan and Jerry Waller enjoyed a little adventure during their most recent visit helping to save a baby longtail from drowning.

Mission accomplished: Frequent Flyers Jerry and Susan Waller on their 42nd
trip to Bermuda, 38th visit to The Reefs Resort, initiated the rescue of a
hatchling white-tailed tropicbird, also known as “the Bermuda longtail”.

The married couple spotted the juvenile bird floating in the water off The Reefs where they were staying. They noticed that it was trying to fly but was getting taken further out to sea with the tide. They decided to contact the hotel and immediately Bermudian staff members Clarkston Smith and Adrianna Lowe took a kayak on to the water.

Rescuers attemp to balance the Bermuda
Longtail on a paddle. (Photograph by Jerry Waller)

Delicate task: Rescuers
balance the injured longtail on a paddle

Reefs guest Nick DiVita was able to catch the longtail while Mrs Waller found a beach towel to wrap it up in. The Reefs staff members wrapped up the chick and carefully placed it in a crevice in the beach cliff.They were able to scoop up the bird using the oar paddle where it stayed until getting close to shore at which point it jumped into the water.

Mr and Mrs Waller then contacted the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo to arrange for the bird to be transported to the aquarium to be treated.

Safe and sound: The Bermuda Longtail!

Mr Waller said: “These are beautiful birds to watch flying out of the cliffs around the Island. But when you see a young one floating out on the ocean before its time to fly knowing it will inevitably drown, there’s only one thing to do and that is to try help with a rescue, which as you can see — can be done if done in time.”

Jerry and Susan Waller have visited Bermuda some 42 times and stayed at The Reefs hotel 38 times since 1990. By coincidence, they were involved in a similar rescue about four years ago.