A guide to Special Cargo by Rohlig-Grindrod

When you’ve been in the freight industry for as long as we have, you’re bound to have the odd request from a client. What do we do? We explore the requirements and accept the challenge, be it big or small. We actually pride ourselves in undertaking challenges and pushing the limit when it comes to freight forwarding. Some of the strange requests we’ve received, include live animals, vintage cars and engine blocks from the world’s finest locomotives. Whatever your requirement, we’re glad to accept the challenge and constantly test ourselves.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting our proudest achievements with a series of odd requests and how we dealt with them.

Nandi the Manta Ray relocates to the States

In 2008 we were presented with one of our biggest challenges to date: moving a manta ray from Durban to Georgia, USA. When we completed this shipment in 2008, it was the largest manta ray that had ever been transported by air freight and we did it all in about 30 hours.

The manta ray, named Nandi, had been caught in shark nets a year earlier and was sent to uShaka Marine World to recover. While there, she outgrew her enclosure and the decision was taken to donate Nandi to the largest seawater aquarium in the world, located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with a tank 10 times the size of the one at uShaka. Moving live animals is quite a challenge, but moving live marine animals presents its own unique set of challenges.

We received a specialised transport tank from the USA, complete with support equipment to keep Nandi alive during the flight. When filled with water, the tank weighed about 12 tonnes.

Nandi arrived at her destination safely and in superb condition.

No matter what your cargo is, we’ve got what it takes to get it to your destination.