Petrels are marine seabirds with a curved beak that spend most of their lives flying over the ocean.
All petrels have prominent tube-shaped nostrils. These are either on the sides of their bill (albatrosses) or on the top (all the other petrels). This shared characteristic of nostril arrangement results in the generic name of “tubenoses”. The tubes help petrels find food and nesting areas with their sense of smell. They also drain excess salt from the petrel’s bloodstream, which is removed by capillary glands located above their eyes. This is the reason for the drip often seen at the tip of their bills.
(You are invited to view these images full screen by double clicking. I stuffed enough pixels in these shots to potentially print to about a 6 foot width with full resolution!)
ANTARCTIC PETREL
SNOWY PETREL
I can’t believe my luck capturing this image. Arriving at my customary stern position, my buddy Paul informed me that I had just missed the Snowy Petrel. Bummer! Within about 30 seconds, the bird made an unexpected return appearance and flew straight towards us, breaking off the approach about 15 feet in front of my lens!! It all happened in a few magical seconds. Quite by luck, all my settings were perfect for the occasion and was able to capture this image full frame. I never saw another Snowy Petrel in the entire trip!
PINTADO PETREL
SOUTHERN FULMAR
GIANT PETREL
PRION