EXHIBIT 99
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SEACOR SMIT LOGO                                         STIRLING SHIPPING LOGO


                                                                   PRESS RELEASE

                        SEACOR SMIT AND STIRLING SHIPPING
                                CLOSE TRANSACTION

HOUSTON, TEXAS
May 4, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- SEACOR SMIT Inc. (NYSE:CKH) and Stirling Shipping
Holdings Limited ("Stirling Shipping"), a private UK company based in Glasgow,
Scotland, announced today that they had closed the acquisition by SEACOR of all
of the outstanding share capital of Stirling Shipping.

Purchase consideration was determined by the estimated adjusted net assets of
Stirling Shipping at closing and totaled approximately 54.3 million Pounds
Sterling ("(pound)"). 55% or approximately (pound)29.9 million of the
consideration was paid in cash, 27% or approximately (pound)14.7 million in one
year loan notes, and 18% in 285,852 shares of SEACOR common stock. Stirling
Shipping's long term debt at closing was approximately (pound)43.0 million. The
total consideration is subject to adjustment based on finalization of the
closing balance sheet.

SEACOR SMIT and its subsidiaries engage in two primary activities: (i) operation
of a diversified fleet of marine vessels primarily dedicated to supporting
offshore oil and gas exploration and development in the US Gulf of Mexico,
offshore West Africa, the North Sea, the Far East, Latin America, and other
foreign regions and (ii) provision of environmental services domestically and
internationally, including marine oil spill response, training, and consulting.

This release includes "forward-looking statements" as described in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements herein that describe the
Company's business strategy, industry outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or
goals also are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements
are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, including risks
associated with the level of oil and natural gas exploration, the availability
of competitive vessels, and the level of oil and natural gas prices.
Forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date of
this release and SEACOR disclaims any obligation or undertaking to provide any
updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in
our expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which
the forward-looking statement is based. The forward-looking statements in this
release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect
SEACOR's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000 and SEACOR's
periodic reporting on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K (if any), which are incorporated by
reference.

For additional information, contact Randall Blank at (212) 307-6633 or visit
SEACOR's website at www.seacormarine.com. For Stirling Shipping, contact James
Cowderoy at +44 141 352 5600 or visit Stirling's website at
www.stirling-shipping.com.