Pathetic pelagics in Peru

No boat – help!!

This is quite pathetic! I organize deep sea pelagics in Lima, Peru. And I just wrote a blogpost on my own blog lending the title from Dale and Susan – about the 20 best seabirds off Lima. 10 of which you have to decide what they should be (learned that one from Dale).  But it remains a fact that I did come up with a list of 10 absolutely mindblowing pelagic birds and also pictures of the same birds I have taken through the 11 years of Lima pelagics.

Then I get 3 GODS – or at least GURUS – of pelagic birdwatching to comment on our operation.

Steve N. G. Howell, author and tour leader with various book such as Birds of Mexico, Gulls of the Americas and Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America, in press with Princeton) argues:

Lima is one of the best areas for pelagic birding in the Americas, with access to several species that can’t be seen easily anywhere else. Keeping pelagic trips going here is important both for birders and for gathering data on the seasonal distribution and abundance of numerous species, some of which are globally threatened.

Hadoram Shirihai, photographer and author of various books such as Whales, Dolphins and other Marina Mammals of the World and The complete guide to Antartic Wildlife says:

Lima is a unique seabird pelagic hotspot for me. The pelagic off Lima with Kolibri Expeditions is one of the best that I tested for the work towards the Handbook of the Tubenoses of the World project, and I call to anyone to support Gunnar to continue the good work he has been doing for years.

Also Peter Harrison, pelagic Guru, who will be in Lima on August 9 for either a short pelagic or hopefully a full day pelagic with one of the ships of IMARPE – the Peruvian Sea Institute, which we hope to hire for the day, is supportive of our project:

The continuation of pelagic voyages from Lima is critically important to further our knowledge of seabird biology and distribution along this important avian flyway. I would also add that although I have not been with Gunnar in person, his reputation is well known and he has added much to our knowledge and provided great service for passing ornithologists and birdwatchers over the years. It is perhaps significant that when the author of Seabirds of the World: An Identification Guide wanted a pelagic trip from Lima, Kolibri Expeditions and Gunnar Engblom was the outfitter he contacted.

The pathetic thing is that we don’t have our own boat – and that all other boats are not allowed – nor intrested to upgrade their permissions – to go to deep waters at 30 nautical miles.

Anyway, I have a plan – albeit that one also sounds a bit pathetic. It is a plan where you give me some money and I give you a lot of birding, actually more birding than you ever dreamt of for the rest of your life.

If that is what you have thought of as a pathetic life plan, to see a hell of a lot of birds before you die, I really think, you should have a look at my web-site immediately to find out what it is all about.  Gunnar gets a boat.

Top Photo: Inca Tern by Gunnar Engblom. DISCLAIMER. The Amazon links are affiliate links, which means that if you buy any of those classic books mentioned Gunnar will recieve about 4% of your purchase, which will be invested in chum when you come and join one of his free pelagics in Peru.

NOTE: Yes, of course I learned that word from Tom McKinney. Don’t think I could come up with something like that on my own. Pathetic!!