Have wings, will fly!
We have a visitor …
When going to see, we look for whatever living creatures are out there, and the Salty Sea Dogs are always spotting. You never know what you will find out there in the deep blue ocean!
But, sometimes, we don’t have to look too hard, and the wildlife finds us.
Look who has come for a visit!
We are off Cape Point today in the open ocean, and to our great excitement, an Arctic tern has landed on the boat.
Sandi, Brownie and Lucy nudge closer for a good look. The Arctic tern is comfortable and doesn’t fly away, so we all get a great look at this incredible bird.
So, why is the Artic tern so incredible?
The artic tern has a special talent in that it flies a very long way every year during its migration. In fact, it has the longest migration in the entire world, out of all the animals.
Endless summers …
From Pole to Pole, these super far fliers migrate in order to follow the sun. Actually, they have two summers every year. Can you imagine never having a winter, you can definitely sign me up for that!
They breed in the Arctic Circle, and as they follow the sun, they can reach the northern edge of the Antarctic ice. This can mean a round-trip journey of about 30,000 kilometres. That’s like going from Cape to Cairo and back, three times!
We’re not in Antarctica, so how did The Salty Sea Dogs come across an Arctic tern?
That’s a great question …
The Arctic tern does not fly in a straight line from North Pole to South Pole. Because its journey takes many months, it will sometimes fly thousands of kilometers out of its way to take advantage of the best weather and get the best food.
En route to Antarctica, Arctic terns fly over our Cape waters. If good food is available, they will make a pit stop.
This all seems like a whole lot of effort.
Everything is nature is done with good reason, and this long journey each year may sound like a gigantic effort, but it is with good reason.
Terns are actually migrating in search of summer sunlight. This is important because sunlight brightens the ocean surface so the birds can see their food, which is small fish, more clearly. Summer weather is also usually calmer at sea, allowing the birds to fly more easily.
Arctic terns catch fish by gliding over the ocean, then plunging their feet or beaks in the water to skim fish near the surface.
Get your passports stamped!
Arctic terns are made for migration, and as such they prefer to glide in the air for most of the year.
They are specially adapted to be lightweight, and because they are so light, ocean breezes can carry them great distances. This means they don’t have to use a lot of energy flapping their wings.
They can even sleep and eat whilst gliding at the same time.
Antarctica calling!
After a good rest on board our boat, the Arctic terns takes off and resumes its journey south. The Salty Sea Dogs keep watching as the tern flies off into the distance.
Eventually it is just a tiny, tiny spec far, far away …
Until the next time,
Big Woofs from the Waves to you all!
