This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Take Madagascar, for example, one of the world’s highest-priority Biodiversity Hotspots: that island-continent is most famous for its penguins. Well, sort of, as there are no penguins in Madagascar, indigenous or otherwise. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales. Yet, those bird guides are hefty.
And from July through to December one can sit and watch Cape Rockjumpers, whilst a dozen or so Southern Right Whales propel their massive bodies clean out of the water, then belly-flopping with thunderous amounts of spray. Even leopards still live here and occasionally terrorize the African Penguin colony at nearby Betty’s Bay.
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.
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.
This is a good place to see the endangered and beautiful Yellowhead and the endemic Yellow-eyed Penguin. At sea there are also New Zealand Sea Lions and Southern Right Whales. Yellow-eyed Penguin at Otago Peninsula. North of Dunedin is Orokonui , a wildlife Sanctuary modeled on Karori with a fence to keep introduced mammals out.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 30+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content