Life at sea brings all manner of incredible experiences and challenges, with the proximity to the beauty and power of mother nature offering a view of the world that too few of us ever see. Among the treasures the sea has to offer in the area are crabs — which happen to be fisherman Alan’s specialization.

But when he and Malory were out at sea with their boat one day, they saw something very different from the crab they were used to — and it was a sight they would never forget. It all began when they came upon a large iceberg, shaped like a mushroom.

Alan and Malory soon spotted something unusual on top of the mushroom-shaped iceberg. At first, they assumed it was a seal, Malory said. They decided to take a closer look — and that’s when they discovered that it wasn’t a seal at all, but rather a creature with four legs that does not normally reside at sea: It was a polar fox.

It’s unclear how the fox ended up there and for how long the poor creature had been stuck there in the middle of nowhere and awaiting a cruel fate. But what’s certain is that the couple knew immediately that they had to do something to help.