Juvenile Loon Stuck on Icy Lake Near Nevis Creates Buzz on Social Media

A loon named Gilligan stuck on a lake near Nevis, MN (Photo via Debbie Center on Facebook)

NEVIS (KDLM) – A loon stuck and surrounded by ice on a lake in Nevis has caught the world’s attention as resident Debbie Center has been documenting the loon on Facebook since Dec. 4, 2021 with many eagerly anticipating its rescue.

Adult loons migrated weeks ago, however young loons usually wait until just before lakes freeze to migrate. This puts them in a precarious position as they need 100 to 600 feet of open water to get airborne due to their heavy bone structure.

This loon named, Gilligan is now stuck in a pool of water just 25 feet across about 1,000 feet from shore.

Debbie Center a resident in the area has been documenting the loon on social media. On Wednesday, the world watched as the Nevis Fire Department spent 35 minutes trying capture the loon unsuccessfully. “I just filmed 2 bald eagles repeatedly dive bombing Gilligan, and he’s wail calling and diving constantly,” Center said Thursday. “Frankly, I don’t want to see the eagles get him. The hole still looks about the same size, so there’s nothing our fire team can do. They tried sooooo hard yesterday and are such heroes. We simply don’t have the expertise or the right equipment”.

You can follow Gilligan’s story, via the Looney Loons Facebook page