MAS - Sooty Shearwater Spectacle
Sooty Shearwaters are one of the most widespread and abundant seabirds in the world. They are at or perhaps just past peak abundance offshore right now, often appearing in flocks and flight lines that defy most counters' abilities to count, sometimes to even estimate. Recently a group I was with estimated a minimum of 30,000 birds, sheepishly noting there were probably well over 100,000. They formed a dense and swirling band across the wide horizon, our eyes parsing the specks like "gnats" or "pepper". Sometimes you just have to marvel, and that's the best. We should celebrate this spectacle and cherish this continuing abundance of the world's oceans. There should be a Sooty Shearwater festivals in their honor. We should sing songs and write poems. When we float back down from the exultation, we should get to work promoting seabird studies and protecting our oceans, which face so many threats.
While so familiar here on the coast, "our Sooties" nest in the Southern Hemisphere during our local winter. They are wintering here in the northern hemisphere, completing the northern part of a grand figure-8 around the Pacific Ocean. These incredible seabirds may cover 40,000 miles each year. They can migrate over 1,000 miles in a day and dive over 200 feet below the surface in search of fish prey.
Support the Monterey Audubon Seawatch!
https://www.montereyaudubon.org/seawatch
Join us on the water on Sunday (8/11) with Alvaro's Adventures.
Pelagic dates for Alvaro's Adventures and Monterey Seabirds are below:
https://www.alvarosadventures.com/pelagic-dates-2024.html
https://www.montereyseabirds.com/
📸: (c) Blake Matheson - 9/12/2020 (close-up)
📸: (c) Brian Sullivan - 9/4/2017 (flock)
Bill
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