U.S. Coast Guard Intervenes in Reza Baluchi’s Atlantic Hamster-Wheel Voyage

On 26 August 2023, Coast Guard cutter Valiant sighted Reza Baluchi ? 70 nautical miles east of Tybee Island, GA, aboard a self-propelled “hydro-pod” – a floating hamster wheel of buoys, wire and a treadmill. Special Agent Michael Perez classified the trip as a “manifestly unsafe voyage” and ordered Baluchi to board a small boat. After repeated threats with knives and a claimed bomb, a second cutter, Campbell, succeeded in removing him on 29 August. He was taken to Miami Beach and released on a US$250,000 bond.

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Baluchi, an Iranian asylum-seeker living in Florida, has made similar oceanic attempts in 2014, 2016 and 2021. Each time the Coast Guard intervened, citing safety concerns. His 2014 effort aimed for Bermuda (? 1,000 mi); the 2016 vessel was sunk as a navigation hazard; the 2021 version reached Flagler County, Fla., before officers questioned his plans to reach New York.

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• 2014 – First documented bubble attempt to Bermuda; Coast Guard rescued after a cold front knocked the bubble.

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• 2016 – Second attempt halted; Coast Guard ordered termination, sank the bubble, and cited a Captain of the Port of Miami order.

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• 2021 – Redesign reached Flagler County; local sheriff’s deputies engaged; Baluchi faced obstruction charges.

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• 26 Aug 2023 – Cutter Valiant encounters Baluchi 70 nm east of Tybee Island.

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• 27-28 Aug 2023 – Negotiations, threats, and delivery of supplies by cutter Campbell.

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• 29 Aug 2023 – Baluchi removed, transported to Miami Beach, and bonded.

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• Bond: US$250,000; conditions prohibit travel outside the Southern District of Florida and any ocean boarding.

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• Charges: Obstruction of boarding and violation of a Captain of the Port order.

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• Distance claimed: London, England – > 4,000 mi; earlier goals included Bermuda (? 1,000 mi) and New York.

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• Taxpayer cost: Approximately US$144,000 for the 2023 rescue, per former Coast Guard officer Todd Coggeshall.

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The Coast Guard determined Baluchi’s vessel unsafe, referencing the Captain of the Port of Miami’s directive prohibiting his travel to Bermuda. Officials emphasized the risk to navigation, the potential for self-harm, and the need to protect both Baluchi and other mariners. Bond conditions reflect the agency’s ongoing restriction on oceanic activity.

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Baluchi argues his “bubble” offers a novel, low-profile mode of travel, stating, “If you drive a boat, nobody cares. Bubble, nobody did before.” He has repeatedly resisted boarding, claiming the bomb threat was a bluff and asserting his right to continue his journey despite official orders.

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Former USCG member Todd Coggeshall described the 2014 case as “the hamster wheel of doom,” noting extreme interior temperatures and the likelihood of the vessel being swept into an eddy. Body-camera footage from Flagler County shows Baluchi responding “This is all I have” when asked about additional vessels.

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Baluchi threatened to “blow himself up” and displayed wires, yet later told officers the bomb “wasn’t real.” He also claimed to have accidentally activated a “spot device” beacon, a detail not corroborated by Coast Guard logs. The precise origin point of the hydro-pod remains unidentified in the complaint.

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• “If you drive a boat, nobody cares. Bubble, nobody did before.” — Reza Baluchi, motivation for his vessel.

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• “I've been five years, like, do this thing. They stop me every time, they save my life. I don't no need it, save my life. I don't no need it.” — Reza Baluchi, during a 2016 encounter.

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• “They shot, they sink my bubble,” — Reza Baluchi, describing the 2016 seizure.

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• “Dream no coming after you,” — Reza Baluchi, concluding remark to VICE.

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• “It became really obvious really fast that he wasn't a sailor, didn't know the ocean, and was unequipped to do what he was attempting to do.” — Todd Coggeshall, former USCG.

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• “Coggeshall said the cost to taxpayers for the Coast Guard response was about $144,000.” — Todd Coggeshall, on the 2023 rescue.

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Baluchi remains under bond with travel restrictions. Prosecutors have yet to schedule a trial on the obstruction and Captain-of-the-Port violations. The Coast Guard continues to monitor his activities, citing the ongoing safety risk of any future hydro-pod voyages.

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