10,000 Birds

AUGUST 29, 2011

I love puffins. Before my trip to Washington the only species of puffin I had ever seen in the wild was the puffin of the Atlantic Ocean, the appropriately named Atlantic Puffin. At $55 a head, and free for toddler Desi, the chance to see puffins from a comfortable boat seemed too good to ignore.

Washington 184

Washington Protection Puffins Rhinoceros 184

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2013

If Arctic Tern chicks aren’t your thing (and if they’re not, by golly, you’re missing out on an awful lot of cuteness), explore.org also boasts webcams for Atlantic Puffins , Osprey , Common Terns , Great Horned Owls , Long-eared Owls , and Magellanic Penguins.

Bald Eagle 205

Bald Eagle Pandas Puffins Bears 205

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

The hotel owner told us that visiting them in the evening had the best showing of puffins as they returned to the cliffs from the sea. Thankfully the Puffins and Razorbills (arguably the most photogenic species) perch on the uppermost ledges, making them readily available for close-ups.

Iceland 217

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 217

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

In California I smelt the breath a Blue Whale as it passed feet beneath my boat. There is no feeling in the world like knowing your helping something you care about, whether its sharks or puffins, protecting forests or reefs, advancing science or communities. In the Bahamas I swam in a pod of feeding dolphins.

Uganda 166

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 166

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

I knew that the east coast of Newfoundland would charm me with its hundreds of thousands of Atlantic Puffins – since it is, after all, home to the largest Puffin colony in North America – but I had no idea that the gulls would be the ones to leave a lasting mark on me. Happy puffins.

Puffins 188

Puffins Whales Whaling Bald Eagle 188