The only consistent part of life is its unpredictability. You can do something a million times without a hitch, but the million-and-first time may provide an outcome you never expected. As unsettling as it seems, a change of fate doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
Take the story of gold dredger Hank Schimschat, for instance; while out on a routine expedition, he stumbled upon an unexpected stowaway. Unsure of what to do next, Hank set in motion a series of events so extraordinary that its significance echoed across the globe.
Gold dredging has been commonplace in the Pacific Northwest over the last 100 years. Most of the men and women who captain these dredging vessels have seen almost everything the unforgiving sea has to offer.
This notion held especially true for Hank Schimschat and his crew aboard the Au Grabber. A dredger out of Nome, Alaska, Schimschat has spent most of his life trolling the waters of the Bering Sea.
Discovery
In fact, Schimschat was even featured on Discovery’s Bering Sea Gold. But despite the spotlight, the most unexpected voyage of Schimschat’s career would come after the cameras had stopped rolling.
Hank Schimschat / Facebook
On a warm summer day in 2017, the Au Grabber was dredging the waters around Nome when a large wave accidentally brought a new crew member onboard. It was the cutest stowaway ever: a baby walrus!
KTUU
With no mother in sight, the calf quickly grew attached to Schimschat and his crew. According to the captain, the little walrus was almost puppy-like in the way it happily followed the men around the boat.
KTUU
Despite the calf’s sociable nature, the crew felt it would be best to let the little guy return to the ocean where he belonged. But the sweet pup wasn’t going to let them off the hook – he was just too attached to them!
Alaska SeaLife Center / Facebook
The men knew that their aquatic friend needed more care than they could provide, so Schimschat contacted the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC). With the help of marine mammal stranding responder Gay Sheffield, the baby walrus was transported to Anchorage, AK to be examined by a vet.
AKSeaLifeCenter
Sheffield and her team determined that the walrus was only about two weeks old. Severely malnourished, medical attention and regular feedings were required in order to get the little walrus healthy.
AKSeaLifeCenter
Most surprising to Sheffield was the fact that the calf was alone, as baby walruses usually remain with their mothers until around two years of age. While the reason for their separation was unknown, Sheffield believed that a killer whale may have preyed on the pup’s mother.
AKSealLifeCenter / YouTube
While the baby walrus was recovering the ASLC team now faced an even greater challenge. Now that the pup had bonded with humans on such a strong level, he would be unable to assimilate back into the wild.
AKSeaLifeCenter
Additionally, the pup’s size and age would make it nearly impossible for him to survive on his own, even amongst other walruses. With no other options, Sheffield and her team knew what they had to do…
Melanie & Kyle Elliot / Flickr
Rather than return him to the sea, the calf was placed into quarantine and given a large tank. According to ASLC president Tara Riemer, the little guy’s tank was more akin to a giant playpen than anything else. How fun!
Come See Orlando
As the walrus began to grow in his new home, workers at the ASLC knew that they wouldn’t have the proper equipment to care for the calf once he reached adulthood. He needed a forever home…
Anchorage Daily News
During their search for a new place for the walrus to live, the ASLC took to social media to come up with a name for him. The public decided on Aku–the native Alaskan word for the stern of a boat–in honor of where he was first discovered.
In October of 2017, the ASLC teased that they had finally found a permanent home for Aku. They would later reveal that Aku would soon be moving into the care of SeaWorld Orlando!
Theo Flynn / Flickr
According to the staff at SeaWorld, Aku would be paired with another calf named Ginger. It was their hope that the two young walruses would grow up together and form a mini-herd in the park’s Wild Arctic enclosure.
Alaska SeaLife Center
A late 2017 video from SeaWorld’s YouTube account welcomed Aku to the park, and it already seemed that the SeaWorld staff had fallen in love with the adorable pup.
SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica & Discovery Cove
Sure enough, Aku and Ginger soon formed an unbreakable bond. As they began to play in and explore their new home together, park goers couldn’t help but feel delighted by the sight of these two lovable walruses.
Alaska SeaLife Center
Eventually, the popularity of Aku and Ginger grew so great that SeaWorld had no choice but to welcome visitors into the walrus enclosure. Now Aku had all the affection and attention he could ever want!
Judging by the posts on SeaWorld Orlando’s Facebook page, Aku has settled nicely into the park and even celebrated his first birthday in August of 2018. Let’s hope Aku has a long, happy life in his forever home!
SeaWorld Orland / Facebook
This little walrus sure was lucky that that big wave brought him aboard the Au Grabber. Now Aku gets to spend the rest of his days surrounded by thousands of people who love him.
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