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 Photos (3) © Oceanwide Expeditions.

Russia 167

Russia Penguins Whales Whaling 167

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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.

South Africa 238

South Africa Penguins Birds Africa 238

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 178

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 178

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 200

Fish Birds Whales Whaling 200

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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.

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Birds 157

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2021

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.

Madagascar 235

Madagascar Mammals Lemurs Seychelles 235