10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2016

Formerly a fishing town it’s economy is now geared towards tourism, particularly ecotourism. Thanks to it’s marine canyon it’s the place to see Sperm Whales, swim with Dusky Dolphins and New Zealand Fur-seals, and watch albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels. Cape Petrels aren’t rare, but are fun.

New Zealand 164

New Zealand Albatross Seals Fur 164

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

The two main chapters cover Marine Mammals (Orca; Whales; Dolphins and Porpoises; Sea Lions, Fur Seals, and Elephant Seal; Rarer Marine Mammals) and Seabirds (Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Fulmar, Strom-Petrels, Phalaropes, Alcids, Red-billed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, South Polar Skua, Jaegers, Gulls and Terns, Rarer Seabirds).

Dolphins 162

Dolphins Whales Whaling Porpoises 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2013

We also passed White-fronted Terns , one of which was being harrassed by an Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger to Americans), which broke off its pursuit when a fish jumped out of the water right beside it. A New Zealand Fur-seal. A mess of Cape Petrels and Northern Giant Petrels under the clear skies of Kaikoura’s Autumn.

Albatross 166

Albatross New Zealand Seals Fur 166

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

I remember way back in that same year commissioning the services of an active sport fishing boat to head out into the ‘deep’, 30 miles beyond the lighthouse at Cape Point itself, in search of a working trawler, in the hope of adding a suite of pelagic sightings to my expanding ‘life list’ of Southern African birds.

Albatross 189

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 189

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2013

What put this once small fishing town on the map was not birds but mammals, specifically whales and dolphins. The boat moves quickly past interesting things; Northern Giant Petrels , Buller’s Shearwaters , White-capped Albatrosses , New Zealand Fur Seals (I understand they will pause to see dolphins).

Whales 211

Whales Whaling Albatross New Zealand 211

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Elephants, whales, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and alligators use low-frequency sounds to communicate over long distances, often miles; and bats, dolphins, whales, frogs, and various rodents use high-frequency sounds to find food, communicate with others, and navigate. Dog and Fish: Improbable Friends. Photos courtesy of iStock.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100