The crewmembers of Gnúpur GK-011, a freezer trawler operating out of the fishing village of Grindvavík on the Reykjanes peninsula, recently discovered a stowaway on the ship: A stray cat who had hidden in the bow of the ship. The crew believes the cat, which has been given the name “Særós”, a woman's name which translates as Sea-rose, has been on-board for at least two months.
Her second tour on the high seas
Sigurjón Veigar Þórðarson, a mechanic on-board Gnúpur, published a photograph of Snærós on Facebook advertising for her owners. He described her as shy and skittish, running for cover whenever anyone came near. When the crew discovered Snærós she was clearly in considerable distress, her coat looked bad and she was very skinny. Sigurjón tells the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that she was very worn out, and had probably lived off scraps she found.
She had probably snuck on board weeks earlier, as the previous crew had noticed a cat running around, although none of them had actually met Snærós. Sigurjón says it is very rare to have animals as stowaways on-board trawlers. They usually spend only a very short time in harbour while they are unloaded and crews are changed. At the time there is constant activity around the ship, making it difficult for cats to sneak on-board.
“We hear of things like this, but this happens extremely rarely. There aren’t that many ways for a cat to enter the ship. … In fact, this is pretty much unique. None of us has encountered a stowaway like this before.”
Promoted from stowaway to full crew-member
Sigurjón says Snærós had chosen a good hiding place by the bridle wenches in the bow. There she has fresh air while a nearby space heater keeps her warm. The crew also took to feeding her cream and fresh caught fish. “She isn’t particularly sociable, and she’s quick to run into hiding if there’s traffic in “her” area,” but she was still treated as one of the crew by the sailors.
The crew has been advertising on social media for the cat’s owners, but nobody has yet stepped forward, and no cats matching the description seem lost or missing, leading the crew to conclude the cat is a stray, and now a bona fide sea-cat.
Snærós' adventures as a sea-cat come to an end today
However, the crew decided they had to capture the cat and bring him back to shore, since a trawler sailing the North Atlantic is no place for a cat. The storms, cold and noise of a freezer trawler which spends every hour at sea is no place for cats, who prefer warm and cosy quiet places.
The crew also decided they wanted to ensure the cat found his way back to Grindavík, rather than return him to shore in one of the other fishing villages where they have docked. Sigurjón tells Morgunblaðið they came to shore in the town of Ísafjörður in the Westfjords in October. One crew member suggested they contact local animal control to capture the cat and bring him ashore. He shot the idea down immediately: “No. She comes from Grindavík, and that’s where she is going again.”
Sigurjón set to work designing and building a cage which could capture Snærós, so that she could be safely delivered to shore in Grindavík, where Gnúpur is expected to arrive later today. The local cat rescue society Villikettir has promised to take care of Snærós and teach her to live in human company so that a home could be found for her.
The crewmembers of Gnúpur GK-011, a freezer trawler operating out of the fishing village of Grindvavík on the Reykjanes peninsula, recently discovered a stowaway on the ship: A stray cat who had hidden in the bow of the ship. The crew believes the cat, which has been given the name “Særós”, a woman's name which translates as Sea-rose, has been on-board for at least two months.
Her second tour on the high seas
Sigurjón Veigar Þórðarson, a mechanic on-board Gnúpur, published a photograph of Snærós on Facebook advertising for her owners. He described her as shy and skittish, running for cover whenever anyone came near. When the crew discovered Snærós she was clearly in considerable distress, her coat looked bad and she was very skinny. Sigurjón tells the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that she was very worn out, and had probably lived off scraps she found.
She had probably snuck on board weeks earlier, as the previous crew had noticed a cat running around, although none of them had actually met Snærós. Sigurjón says it is very rare to have animals as stowaways on-board trawlers. They usually spend only a very short time in harbour while they are unloaded and crews are changed. At the time there is constant activity around the ship, making it difficult for cats to sneak on-board.
“We hear of things like this, but this happens extremely rarely. There aren’t that many ways for a cat to enter the ship. … In fact, this is pretty much unique. None of us has encountered a stowaway like this before.”
Promoted from stowaway to full crew-member
Sigurjón says Snærós had chosen a good hiding place by the bridle wenches in the bow. There she has fresh air while a nearby space heater keeps her warm. The crew also took to feeding her cream and fresh caught fish. “She isn’t particularly sociable, and she’s quick to run into hiding if there’s traffic in “her” area,” but she was still treated as one of the crew by the sailors.
The crew has been advertising on social media for the cat’s owners, but nobody has yet stepped forward, and no cats matching the description seem lost or missing, leading the crew to conclude the cat is a stray, and now a bona fide sea-cat.
Snærós' adventures as a sea-cat come to an end today
However, the crew decided they had to capture the cat and bring him back to shore, since a trawler sailing the North Atlantic is no place for a cat. The storms, cold and noise of a freezer trawler which spends every hour at sea is no place for cats, who prefer warm and cosy quiet places.
The crew also decided they wanted to ensure the cat found his way back to Grindavík, rather than return him to shore in one of the other fishing villages where they have docked. Sigurjón tells Morgunblaðið they came to shore in the town of Ísafjörður in the Westfjords in October. One crew member suggested they contact local animal control to capture the cat and bring him ashore. He shot the idea down immediately: “No. She comes from Grindavík, and that’s where she is going again.”
Sigurjón set to work designing and building a cage which could capture Snærós, so that she could be safely delivered to shore in Grindavík, where Gnúpur is expected to arrive later today. The local cat rescue society Villikettir has promised to take care of Snærós and teach her to live in human company so that a home could be found for her.
