Adventurous Man and His Brave Pet Chicken Are Sailing Around the World Together

Plenty of people travel with their dogs (and even their cats), but Guirec Soudée goes on adventures with an unlikely animal companion—his pet hen named Monique. The 24-year-old Frenchman is two years into his sailing trip around the world with his beloved bird in tow. They started at the Canary Islands near Africa’s west coast and then sailed to the Caribbean, afterwards trekking to Greenland where they currently reside.

Soudée had a feeling about Monique the first time he met her. “I knew she was the one straight away,” Soudée told the BBC. He picked her to accompany him because he wanted a pet for companionship, and a hen is more independent than most other animals. There’s an added benefit, too: Monique lays eggs which Soudée can enjoy when out at sea.

With the unpredictable weather conditions, it seems that sailing would be a precarious activity for a small hen. “At the beginning, I was very worried,” Soudée admits. “There would be huge waves and she might stumble, it would look for a second like she might go overboard, but she would always regain her footing. She's very brave.” If the weather ever becomes dangerous, however, he puts her in her hutch for her own safety.

After Greenland, the unusual duo are headed to Alaska, where Soudée will continue to document their adventures on his website.

Guirec Soudée: Website | Instagram | Facebook
via [Mashable]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits