Giving Directions At Sea
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Think of the Boat As A
Clock |
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Distance
The best way to express
the distance from the boat is by reference to the horizon. (where the water
meets the sky). A flying bird can be above the horizon or below the horizon. A
sitting bird can be described as half - way, or 3/4 of the way to the
horizon.
If you are on the top deck and the person describing the location
of the bird is on the lower deck there is a discrepancy. The higher you are the
further the horizon.
There are few landmarks at sea. One wave looks pretty much like another. To give directions to a bird use the following:
- What point on the clock
- Is the bird flying or sitting on the water.
- If flying is it going right or left
- Distance to the horizon
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"Greater Shearwater 3 o'clock flying left 3/4 to the horizon."
To follow the directions of another person, first look where they are looking. Then place your binoculars as close to the location described as possible and scan a bit in both directions.
It Takes Practice
You won't see every bird on your first pelagic trip. You probably won't see every bird on your 100th pelagic trip, but you will get better at following and giving directions with practice. If you miss a bird, forget your frustration and get ready for the next one.
A good way to learn is on the way out of the harbor, work with a friend to practice giving directions to a gull.
Identification Tips
Seabirds in general are not colorful. They exhibit: black, brown,
gray, and white color patterns. On land you may first see a bird as a flash of
yellow or red. At sea you will first notice a bird by the way it is flying. You
need to include other behaviors as part of your identification.
Flight
Charateristics
First learn to recognize the flight of gulls
and terns which fly with a steady wing beat except when preparing to land on
the water. On your first trip pay special attention to the flight of the gulls
on the way out of the harbor. The first time the leader calls out shearwater,
there may be hundreds of gulls around the boat and you need to pick out the
shearwater by the way it flies.
Shearwaters (except on takeoff) fly by
intermittingly flapping their wings and then holding them stiff as they glide
or "shear" over the waves. They tip their wings first to the right and then to
left as they ride updrafts between the waves. Even when flying in a fairly
direct line, the shearwater alternates wing beats with glides. Even at a long
distance you can pick out a shearwater from a bunch of gulls by the way it
flies.
The Northern Fulmar also uses "shearwater flight". If it looks
like a gull, but flies like a shearwater, think Fulmar.
Alcids and Ducks
fly with steady wing beat. Since they are heavy bodied birds, their wing beats
are much faster than those of the gulls. Alcid wing beats are faster than
ducks.
Kleptoparasitism
Jaegers are known for harassing gulls, terns and other birds trying to force them to drop any food they are carrying. This kleptoparaistism as it is called, causes the bird under attack to fly in an erratic pattern. Evasive flight is noticeable even at a distance. Start looking for the dark bird with white wing flashes that is causing the action. Here a jaeger chases an immature kittwake.
Feeding Habits- Plunge Diving
- Some birds, most notably the Northern Gannet make spectacular dives into the water from the air. Terns are also known for plunge diving and some species of Shearwaters do this as well.
- Surface Diving
- The bird dives while sitting on the water. Typical of Shearwaters, ducks, grebes.
- Extended Dives
- Alcids, loons, grebes and ducks pursue fish underwater. Alcids use their wings to fly through the water while the others paddle with their legs. These birds make extended dives and may resurface some distance from where they went down.
- Surface Picking
- The bird picks food from the surface of the water. Some birds like Storm-petrels do this while flying or on the wing. Others birds (Phalaropes) only pick up food only while sitting on the surface.
Interaction With Boats
Books on seabirds use several terms to describe how birds interact
with boats.
Some birds follow ships often criss crossing the wake from side
to side. They are hoping for refuse from the galley or looking for marine
animals brought to the surface and perhaps even stunned by the ship's
propellar. This behavior is called ship following or wake
dwelling. Larger birds like the Wandering Albatross may take advantage of
air currents produced by a large ship. In Antarctica an easily recognized
individual Wandering Albatross followed the ship for two days.
Other
birds seem to recognize fishing boats and follow these boats waiting for fish
refuse to be thrown overboard. Most fishing boats seems to have a trail of
gulls following them. Gulls will often start to follow the whale watching boats
until they realize that nothing will be thrown overboard. Harrison and others
use the phrase attends trawlers to describe this behavior.
| Harrison (2) has this description of Wilson's Storm-petrel:
"Readily follow ships; attends trawlers and cetaceans, attracted to
chum." Leach's Storm-petrel is described in the same source. " Does not normally follow ships; occasionally attends trawlers." |
The same can be applied to mammals. Some dolphins will ride the
bow wave of a boat. This makes them easier to see and photograph. The Atlantic
White-sided Dolphin is a bow rider.
There are probably more Harbor
Porpoise in the Gulf of Maine than any other mammal. We frequently see the
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, but almost never the Harbor Porpoise. The reason
is that the Harbor Porpoise avoids boats and is never a bow rider.
Be A Good Sailor |
Safety
Before the
trip begins the captain will outline the rules for the particular boat. One
rule is universal... Always keep both feet on the deck of the boat at all
times. Do not stand on benches, chairs or anything else trying to get a
better view even of a life bird. Falling on a rocking boat can be very
dangerous because as you go down, the boat may come up to meet you increasing
the force of the impact. If you are injured, you are several hours away from
any medical help.
If your view of a bird is blocked, let the people at
the rail know. They may let you move forward.
In rough seas, keep one
hand on the boat rail at all times and go down stairs backwards as if you were
descending a ladder.
Avoid Sea Sickness
We
are lucky in the New England area to have many large and stable boats due to
the whale watching industry. For some people, motion sickness can still be a
factor. There are many new drugs for the prevention of sea sickness. See your
doctor and take your medicine before you board the boat. Remember the boat will
not return to the dock because you are sick. Before you sign up for an eight to
twelve hour trip, try a four hour whale watch. Have breakfast before you come
avoiding greasy foods.
If you are feeling a little queasy stay outside
on the lower deck. Watch the horizon. Going in the bathroom is sure to make you
sick. If it happens anyway lean over the rail. It makes good chum. Have a
bottle of water with which to wash out your mouth.
Equipment
Always
have an optical cloth or a good soft cotton handcherchief in your pocket to
clean the salt spray off your binoculars and glasses. Better yet have two so
you can always find one.
Bring your binoculars, but leave your scope at
home. If you have a camera be sure to have it on a strap around your neck and
to have some protection against spray.
Secure your prescription eyeglasses
with an elastic band. You may lean over the rail to watch a bow riding dolphin
and off they go. If it falls in the ocean, it is gone forever. Have an extra
pair of glasses with you.
Don't forget sunglasses, cap with visor and
sunscreen even in winter. The glare of the sun can be brutal.
It is always a bit colder out on the water. For early spring and late fall trips, bring several extra layers of clothing, gloves and a warm hat. In summer it is usually warm enough to wear shorts and sandals, but be prepared with extra layers in case it turns out to be cooler than you think.
It is probably impossible to be too warmly dressed for winter trips on the north Atlantic. Wear insulated boots, two pairs of gloves, a wool sweater under your parka and a tight fitting warm hat.
Some boat owners dislike shoes with black foam soles found on most hiking boots as they leave black marks on fiberglass hulls. Most New England boats have metal decks so you do not have to worry about this issue. Be sure to check on this when you take trips in other areas especially on the Country Girl out of South Carolina.
If your trip is on a small boat, rubber boots will keep your feet dry when cold water washes over the deck. (California water is cold. ) The Gulf Stream on North Carolina trips is not cold and rubber boots will be a misery. Rubber sandals and wet feet will be better. On the large New England boats, you do not have to worry about your feet getting wet unless it is raining. In summer you can wear sandals if you want, but sneakers are always appropriate. In winter wear insulated boots or shoes. The decks will be very cold.
Hats need to be secure. The ocean does not need a collection of baseball hats. Use a string to attach your hat to your clothing to prevent it from blowing off into the water.
It is a good idea to have dry clothes and shoes in your car. If it rains or you get hit with a big wave, it is very comfortable to have dry clothes to change into for the trip home. A towel or even a large face cloth in your backpack can be a great comfort if you need to dry off.
Food
The whale watching
boats in the New England area have full galley service with pizza, sandwiches,
breakfast sandwiches, coffee, milk, soft drinks. Smaller boats may not have
this service. Always find out in advance what food will be available. Even if
the boat has a galley you may want to bring your own food. Twelve hours is a
long time to be hungry or to subsist on junk food. Always bring water. Bringing
alcoholic beverages aboard is illegal in some areas such as Boston although you
can buy beer once aboard.
Trash
The ocean
is not a garbage can. Do not throw trash overboard. Be very careful to hold
onto plastic wrappers. Plastic garbage is a serious problem for marine mammals
and birds who mistake it for food.
On whale watching trips with
non-birding tourists, do not throw biodegradable garbage in the ocean. It sets
a bad example. If you see someone with one of those disposable cigarette
lighters, speak to them about how harmful they are to marine animals.