It was an incredible journey.

Swept hundreds of miles on currents from the north-eastern seaboard to the shores of a semi-tropical island, a stranded seal has finally been returned to the US, courtesy of FedEx.

The special passenger was airlifted on Tuesday night in his own private jet, albeit a cargo plane, to Newark, New Jersey.

From there, a rescue crew drove him more than 100 miles to the National Aquarium in Baltimore where he will receive further care before being re-released into the wild.

The young Atlantic Harbour Seal first washed up on the shores of Bermuda on February 15. Estimated to be a year old, he was found on a beach at Ariel Sands, exhausted and emaciated.

He also had a deep laceration to his neck caused by fishing line cutting into the muscle. It was touch and go whether he would survive.

Only one in ten stranded seals make it, and a month earlier another Harbour seal found in Hamilton Harbour wasn't so lucky.

This young male is only the fourth stranded seal to be recorded in Bermuda in the last 150 years. And he marks the first successful rehabilitation of a stranded marine mammal for the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

Over the past six weeks, BAMZ staff have nursed him back to health, so much so that he is now almost double in weight, from 60 to 110 lbs.

"This is the first successful marine mammal case we've had," said Dr. Ian Walker, BAMZ acting principal curator.

"I am also very thankful to FedEx, Cargojet, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore for all their efforts."

BAMZ has previously flown a tree kangaroo to the US via FedEx for a breeding programme, and so Dr. Walker said he decided to call on their help with the seal.

The international logistics company was so impressed by his tale of survival, it offered to pay the seal's transportation costs back to the East Coast.

Chris Heslop, FedEx senior manager for the Caribbean region, said: "The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo is a good cause and the seal is a good story the poor guy made it several hundred miles all the way to Bermuda."

On Tuesday evening the seal was accompanied on the Cargojet plane by Dr. Brent Whitaker, director of biological programs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Dr. Whitaker, a veterinarian, was responsible for making sure he was comfortable on the journey, and did not get excited or dehydrated.

The animal is now receiving further medical care and tests at an animal care centre at the National Aquarium.

Dr. Whitaker said he could possibly be released back into the waters of the northeastern seaboard in four to six weeks' time.

"It's unknown how long we will have to keep him but if he continues to heal at the rate he's doing he should do fine," he said.

An abscess on his back still has to improve but Dr. Whitaker said the three-quarter inch lesion around the seal's neck "has healed very nicely".

"Assuming further tests are good and he puts on more weight we should be able to get him out while the water is still cold, probably after the next month or so," he said.

"Then we hope to put a satellite tag on him. Just to make sure he doesn't head back to Bermuda. But seriously, this will give us an opportunity to learn about these populations and seal migratory patterns."

Dr. Whitaker believes the seal originated from the coastal waters of New England or Canada.

"I'm not sure what projectory he took and Dr. Walker and myself don't know how he got to Bermuda, but this is one lucky seal," he said.

"It is absolutely amazing he made it all the way across the ocean and found your island.

"I think the job Dr. Walker and his (BAMZ) crew have done is fabulous. This animal would not have survived without their care. The initial photos show an emaciated animal, starving to death, with monofilament around his neck. So he really has been very fortunate to have been found and to have received such care from the Bermuda Aquarium staff.

"He looks very good compared to most stranded seals we've seen, the reason being the care he has been given. Most of these animals don't survive."

Dr. Whitaker added: "We also really appreciate how much FedEx has done to make this possible. The seal did well on the flight and is now adapting to his new environment. He has been examined by our vet team and is eating fish and doing very well."

After a further course of antibiotics, the seal will be able to leave his quarantine pool and decking area at the care centre.

"With all the negative things in the world today, it is so good to see people working together to make something positive happen for such an animal," said Dr. Whitaker.

"When you see a group of people come together like this it just shows how much we care about the environment and how we can really make things happen."

An unusual airport farewell

It was probably one of the most unusual farewells at an airport.

After swimming more than 700 miles, swept into the unknown on ocean currents, a stranded Atlantic Harbour Seal was finally on his way home.

The young male, who first washed up on our shores six weeks ago, was airlifted back to the north-eastern seaboard to start the next chapter of his amazing story.

After five-and-a-half weeks recuperating from near-starvation and a deep cut to his neck, the seal left his quarantine pool at 6.10 p.m. on Tuesday to board his flight to the US.

Loaded into a 3ft by 6ft wooden crate constructed by BAMZ plant staff, the seal was taken to L.F. Wade International Airport by FedEx, which had picked him up in a van, with BAMZ head aquarist Patrick Talbot accompanying him in the back.

I followed with BAMZ acting principal curator Dr. Ian Walker, animal registrar Barbara Outerbridge and Dr. Brent Whitaker, a veterinarian from the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

As we approached the Causeway, Dr. Walker stopped the car at the Shell Station to buy two 10lb bags of ice cubes. I was intrigued, and so apparently was the cashier at the gas station.

Tuesday marked the coldest March 24 since 1967, and she told him: "That's the only ice we've sold all day. It must be a special occasion."

"Yes, I'm FedExing a seal," he replied.

"Well that's cool," she said.

And so apparently, the seal would be on his one-and-a-half hour flight. The ice cubes were a necessity for him to chew on if he got too warm or thirsty onboard. It was not allowed any food or drink on the flight as it could make him sick.

On arrival at the airport, we watched as the seal was loaded on to the 727-200 Cargojet cargo plane. It had taken an army of people and extensive teamwork to get him back to East Coast, and he still has some way to go, with further rehabilitation at the National Aquarium in Baltimore before being re-released into the wild.

Ms Outerbridge alone has had a mountain of paperwork and US security clearances to arrange. This has included: a special Bermuda Government permit to export a marine mammal; a NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service permit allowing him to be imported to the US for medical reasons prior to release; letters from Dr. Walker and Dr. Whitaker requesting his importation and stating fitness to travel; and a US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) importation permit.

The seal even had his own US FWS officer awaiting to inspect him at Customs on arrival at Newark.

At 7.15 p.m. the cargo plane took off but as we came to leave however, the car battery failed. Ms Outerbridge called her husband, a dentist, to come out and jump start us.

"I guess you can see the irony of this," said Mr. Talbot. "The animal is signed, sealed and delivered and now we're the ones stranded, awaiting the arrival of a doctor."

An unusual airport farewell