Marine wildlife rescue devices and methods for rescuing marine wildlife

A flotation device for rescuing oil-soaked birds, comprising:

• a generally hexagonal, inflatable outer wall structure defining a cavity therein of at least one foot in width;
• a fluid-impermeable lower floor covering the bottom of the cavity and sealingly attached around the lower periphery of the outer inflatable wall structure;
• an upper floor constructed of fluid-permeable material stretched across the cavity and attached to the inner sides of the inflatable outer wall structure a specified distance above the lower floor;
• a band secured to the inner surface of the inflatable outer wall structure on each of the six hexagonal sides, the band extending over an upper rim of the inflatable wall structure and down an outer surface of the inflatable wall structure;
• and
• at least one attachment member secured to the flotation device by said bands on each of said six sides of the hexagonal inflatable wall structure.

A flotation device for rescuing oil-soaked birds, comprising:

• an inflatable member enclosing a buoyant sanctuary;
• a fluid-impermeable lower floor covering the bottom of the sanctuary and sealingly attached around the lower periphery of the inflatable member;
• an upper floor constructed of fluid-permeable material stretched above the lower floor;
• and
• a series of supports secured to the inflatable member holding said upper floor structure within the sanctuary.

A method of constructing a flotation device, comprising the steps of:

• forming a plurality of individual panels, each individual panel having a bottom wall section, opposed outer wall sections, a top wall section, and an inner wall section, said inner wall section having a free end;
• sealingly bonding an outer wall section of one panel to an outer wall section of a second panel along an edge between said bottom wall section and said top wall section of each;
• sealingly bonding a plurality of panels together at their outer wall sections and joining the first panel to the last panel at their outer wall sections to form a closed loop;
• sealingly bonding adjacent edges of each top wall section of the panels;
• bonding the adjacent edges of each inner wall section together;
• bonding the adjacent edges of each bottom wall section together;
• turning the bonded closed loop structure formed by the panels inside out so that the bonded seams face inward;
• bonding the bottom wall section of each panel to the free end of the inner wall section of each panel to generally form an air-tight torus;
• sealingly attaching a fluid-impermeable lower floor to each of the bottom wall sections to define a cavity within said torus;
• and
• attaching a fluid-permeable upper floor to said inner wall sections above said lower floor and within said cavity.

A method for rescuing marine wildlife following an oil spill and removing such wildlife from immediate danger as rapidly as possible, comprising the steps of:

• floating in the water, in the immediate vicinity of marine wildlife exposed to an oil spill, a buoyant sanctuary having a bottom floor and an elevated porous floor over said bottom floor;
• placing said exposed marine life on top of said elevated porous floor;
• and
• allowing the oil and/or water on said exposed marine life to drain therefrom through said porous floor onto said bottom floor.