Water Wings Sharing the Ocean With Our Feathered Paddlers
Seabirds, sea otters, whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions, oh my! Seeing marine wildlife in their natural environment is a thrilling and often
memorable experience. We all desire that one unforgettable interaction with our favorite animal from the vantage point of our standup paddleboard (SUP), kayak or canoe. While wildlife viewing can motivate our decision of where to paddle, it is important to remember these animals are wild and need space to find food, choose mates, raise young, socialize and rest. When we get too close, approach too fast or make too much noise we can disrupt these natural behaviors and cause them unnecessary stress. Seabirds spend their lives wandering the open ocean, and only come ashore
to breed and raise their young. Many of us commonly encounter seabirds while paddling about the oceanic wonders of nature, but we are often unaware of how our actions can significantly harm individual birds, and sometimes affect entire colonies. Seabirds are excellent indicators of ocean health. Healthy seabird populations
indicate the presence of important food such as small fish, shellfish, krill and crustaceans, which are not only important prey for seabirds, but also larger marine wildlife such as whales and dolphins.
Seabird Hotspot: Central California The upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich waters along the north and central coast of California provides plentiful amounts of food to sustain the 600,000 seabirds that frequent the region. The Farallon Islands, a series of jagged rocks peeking through the ocean waters 28 miles west of San Francisco, are home to more than 300,000 breeding seabirds; the largest seabird population in the contiguous United States. While some species spend their lives in these waters, others travel great distances for the sanctuary’s abundant food. For seabirds that live in the area, many of them return to the same rock year
after year to breed and raise their chicks. Devils Slide Rock, a well-known colony south of San Francisco, is home to more than 1,000 common murres who return every year to lay a single egg. Protecting these colonies is extremely important. Colonial seabirds will only breed where other birds are already present. If a colony is repeatedly disturbed, causing birds to scatter, that could result in breeding failure and possible colony abandonment. It’s like walking by an empty restaurant… if no one is dining there, would you want to eat there?
Preventing Unintended Impacts To Seabirds
And Other Wildlife Paddling in the nearshore ocean waters of central California on a calm day can be a treat for those of us who seek rare wildlife encounters; however, any activity that disrupts the natural behaviors of marine wildlife also has the potential to cause harm. Impacts from disturbance are wide-ranging, from a bird showing signs of agitation, to the loss of eggs or death of chicks. Sources of disturbance include low-flying aircraft; a close-approaching boat including kayaks, canoes and SUPs; fireworks displays or even hikers approaching too close. Any of these activities
can be devastating. For example, a close-approaching kayak may cause seabirds to begin head-bobbing and wing-flapping—both signs of panic. When fear turns to panic, seabirds fly away, which can cause both immediate and long term impacts. During central California’s breeding season—typically from April through
August—seabirds are most vulnerable to disturbance. When breeding birds are scared from their nests, adults may not return to the colony for up to 24 hours, if at all, abandoning eggs and chicks and exposing them to predators and extreme weather conditions. Eggs may also become dislodged from their nests and fall into the water, or small chicks may fall and drown before they learn to swim. Colony abandonment can not only cause breeding failure, but if birds do not return to a site the incident may cause complete colony collapse for future breeding seasons.
Creating Marine Stewardship Four national marine sanctuaries help protect the wildlife along the California
coast: Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries. These federally protected waters prohibit oil exploration and the take of any seabird or marine mammal, among other natural resource protections. Take is any activity that injures or harasses marine life—this can range from agitation that causes an animal stress (i.e. calling, wing flapping) to physical impacts that lead to injury or death. Additionally, California has one of the largest networks of state marine protected areas, or MPAs, in the world. These MPAs include designations such as special closures that prohibit access to all watercraft where high concentrations of seabirds and marine mammals breed and are susceptible to human disturbance. The Seabird Protection Network, a multi-agency collaborative managed by
Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, is a hub of resources for user groups to bolster a marine stewardship ethic within the paddling community. The Network uses a suite of strategies to reach interested groups, including in-person presentations to central California boating and kayaking groups and attendance at regional boating events. Additionally, free downloadable outreach materials with tips on how to reduce disturbance and special closure information are available. Resources include waterproof boater guides, boater and kayak posters and tide books. If you plan to visit Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary in southern California, keep an eye out for important informational signs posted in sea caves where breeding seabirds find refuge. Also, be sure to check out recently completed kiosk videos, available on YouTube, that appeal to younger generations and teach viewers about seabird restoration efforts. The health of the ocean is vital for the function and well-being of our global
ecosystems; it is up to us as coastal users to be stewards of our seas. By reducing wildlife disturbance, especially to seabirds, you can help protect the future of our oceans so that we can all enjoy them for generations to come.
Kate Bimrose is a Boater Outreach Specialist at Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
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