10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

The fish charge at the shore and virtually beach themselves in an effort to grab the unwary birds, in the style of a Crocodile taking a Wildebeest or a Killer Whale taking a pinniped. Some (but not most) killer whales beach themselves on land or ice to get at sea mammals or penguins, and some dolphins do similar things.

Fish 243

Fish Whaling Whales France 243

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

This may be the most awesome pelagic you’ll ever experience… For me it was the publication in 1984 of Peter Harrison’s ground-breaking identification guide to ‘ Seabirds ’ that opened up the off-shore world of pelagic birding right on Cape Town’s door step.

Albatross 221

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whaling 221

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2016

The Ross Sea is the most productive stretch of water in the Southern Ocean, teeming with large predatory fish, whales, seals, penguins and other animals that form the last intact marine ecosystem on Earth. Sperm Whales prey on Toothfish and large squid and in February 2007, a 10-metre (32.8 Enough History – Back to the Future.

Russia 189

Russia Penguins Whaling Whales 189

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

Galápagos: A Natural History, Second Edition by John Kricher and Kevin Loughlin gives the traveling naturalist the tools needed to fully appreciate and experience the Galápagos Islands. I wish I had read this book. They complement Kricher’s text., The 11th chapter is on research and conservation challenges.

2006 278

2006 Tortoises Sea Lions Porpoises 278

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

Volunteering provides a very different experience to tourism though. In the Bahamas I swam in a pod of feeding dolphins. In California I smelt the breath a Blue Whale as it passed feet beneath my boat. And come the new year I’ll be telling you all about my experiences this time around.

Uganda 171

Uganda Sharks New Zealand Africa 171

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2016

Perhaps the best experience of the two days I spend offshore was not a bird, but a mammal. As it was when a small pod of Gervais’ Beaked Whales, small whales that look like bulked up Bottlenosed Dolphins tolerated our approach and allowed us to have a surreal experience with this mysterious marine mammal.

Whaling 100

Whaling Whales North Carolina Mammals 100

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Grief, friendship, gratitude, wonder, and other things we animals experience. Sea lion mothers wail when watching their babies being eaten by killer whales. People have reported dolphins struggling to save a dead calf by pushing its body to the surface of the water. Waterfall Dances: Do animals have spiritual experiences?

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whaling Whales 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

It is acceptable to point out other sea creatures–dolphins or whales or dragonflies–but the main goal is the observation and identification of the birds. This, I am told, is seawatching , a birding activity in which one stands in one place, sometimes for hours, and watches for birds of the sea and lake and river.

Ducks 247

Ducks Groups North America Species 247