In addition to safeguarding our shores, it’s the U.S. Coast Guard’s duty to rescue citizens and service members lost at sea. While most of the service’s rescues involve just humans, sometimes they have a chance to help a wild animal in need.

Last summer, the Coast Guard rescued a couple sea turtles caught on a buoy. Last weekend, it delivered a rehabilitated seal pup back to its natural habitat. The seal was rescued off the coast of Seattle and nursed back to health by the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Once it was healthy, PAWS passed the pup onto the Coast Guard to bring the seal home.

The service shared a video of the seal returning from whence it came on Facebook.

Saving lives at sea is one of the Coast Guard’s and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s top missions – in fact, on an average day, the Coast Guard saves 10 lives.

But it’s not every day #USCG Auxiliary crews get to help PAWS – Progressive Animal Welfare Society release a rehabilitated harbor seal back into the wild!#SavingLivesSunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sMl_byrOPQ