Declassified U.S. Nuclear Test Film #37

0800037 - The Warm Coat - 1968 - 14:00 - Black&White - Follow the adventures of "Harvey," the wily otter, as he and other sea otters are relocated from Amchitka Island, Alaska, to other Alaskan sites with no otter colonies. This video shows the planning and execution of "Project Sea Otter Transplant." No nuclear explosions are shown in this video.

Several state and federal entities combined efforts to help repopulate the otters at new sites in Alaska. The State of Alaska, along with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the U.S. Department of the Interior, worked on this project. In summer 1968, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist supervised Aleut fisherman who captured about 50 otters each week; took them to a shore installation; and safely fed and cleaned the otters until transported to their new homes. Seven sea-otter transplants were performed using AECs C-130 cargo aircraft. In all, 359 sea otters were transported to new homes off the Alaskan coast.

• Category

  News & Politics

[chinesecommunist]

Why are these Alaskan nuke films obsessed with otters? The combination of test film and nature documentary is beyond weird...

Goddamn First Earth Battalion.

[sr71ablackbird]

I love this, it reminds me of the old science movies that I seen in grade school during the early-mid 70s. TY for posting :). I haven't seen one of these in 30+ yrs

[Ghostwolfalpha]

Yes and with a good reason. The DOD selected the island for the Long Shot, Milrow and Cannikin underground tests, the Cannikin shot was the 5 megaton warhead for the Spartan ABM interceptor missile. Perhaps the move to relocate the local otter population was to minimize radioactive contamination (and casualties) of the wildlife near the test site.

[jobriq5]

why is this "Nuclear Test Film" about otters?

[rerevisionist]

It may be something to do with the Aleutians, which seem to have been fought over by Russia and Japan and the US - who knows? It is a Monty Pythoinic film, isn't it.