Latest news with #Galápagos
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Experience: I travelled the world delivering letters to strangers
I have always loved travelling, and have spent most of my adult life either on the move or planning my next adventure. In 2014, I was living in London when my dad, Eric, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). I immediately moved back to my home town of New Plymouth in New Zealand, to help and spend time with him. When he passed away in October 2022, I wanted to find a way to process my grief, and I was desperate to get back out into the world. In early 2023, I took off to the Galápagos Islands for a much-needed break. While there, I visited Post Office Bay, on Floreana Island. There's an old whisky barrel there that is used as a postbox. It was first used by sailors in 1793 to send mail back home: they would leave a letter and take any that were addressed to their next port of call to deliver them by hand. It's still used by tourists. People will leave a letter and take one that they are able to hand-deliver to their next destination. The barrel was full to the brim with postcards waiting for delivery. I took a couple home with me and delivered them with glee: one to a teacher from their pupil, and another from a girl to her boyfriend. The recipients were incredibly grateful, and it felt wonderful to have brought such joy. Weeks later, I couldn't stop thinking about the letters. I'd already planned to do some more travelling, but then I thought: what if I spent a year delivering more letters from that postbox? I realised I could keep my remote job, and at the same time travel the world delivering post, using air miles and working along the way. I decided to document my journey on social media, partly to keep a record of my adventures, but also to help raise awareness of MND. I had watched Dad lose his ability to travel and physically communicate, which was devastating, so I wanted to remember him by making meaningful human contact. In March 2024, I set off for Galápagos. I picked out 55 letters and postcards that covered a large geographic area. I aimed to deliver one a week, covering at least 52 countries and spanning all seven continents, starting in Central America and finishing in Europe. I avoided using social media to get in touch with people, going purely by address. If they weren't there, I'd ask around locally, then use social media, doing my best to hand-deliver the letter. Sometimes, friends who had joined me for part of the trip could help translate, but I had to rely on Google Translate a lot. Usually, people were initially confused, but that would turn to complete joy as they read their letter. I was extremely nervous about the first few deliveries. I didn't know how people would react to me knocking on their door unannounced. I'm 52 and very outgoing, but I'm aware that nowadays people are wary of speaking to one other. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Usually, once they understood what I was doing, they were really warm and welcoming, but there were a few exceptions. Delivering letter number 50, in Bergen, Norway, I almost got arrested. The lady who answered the door didn't believe my story and mistook my selfie stick for a weapon, so she called the police. I had to show the officers my Instagram journey to prove what I was doing, and we all ended up laughing together. In Belize, I delivered a love letter to a man, only to find he had broken up with his partner. Weeks later, I got a message to say they were back together. My favourite delivery was letter eight, in Mexico City, from a daughter to her mother, thanking her for letting her follow her dreams. The mother had been very ill, and her daughter wanted to come home from her travels to look after her, but she insisted her daughter continued with her trip. I'm still in touch with both of them. When I finished my challenge in March this year, I held a party in London and invited everyone I'd met along the way. People came from all over the world – I was so touched and humbled. I've made friends for life. Now my challenge is over, I've decided to write a book and help develop a film about my travels, but I'm already starting to get itchy feet. The only problem is finding a way to top my last adventure. As told to Heather Main Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The surprisingly relatable reason why some birds get cranky
Trafficked roads, loud noises, suffocating smog. For some people, living in the city can be stressful and unnerving. But a growing body of research shows some city birds can be more aggressive than their rural counterparts, suggesting they too feel the pressures of city life. In a study published in April in the journal Animal Behavior, researchers showed that Galápagos yellow warblers that live near trafficked roads in the Ecuadorian archipelago respond to intruders more aggressively than those living farther away from traffic. They're not the only bird species affected by city life. Numerous studies have investigated the phenomenon of angry urban birds—finding that species such as great tits, European robins, song sparrows, and dark-eyed juncos show more aggression toward each other when they live near urbanized sites. While it's clear that 'in some species of birds, urban populations are more aggressive than rural populations,' there are many different theories for why this happens, says Jeremy Hyman, a professor and department chair of biology at Western Carolina University. In the last decades, the Galápagos archipelago has seen a drastic increase in the human population, with permanent residents today increasing by six percent each year. An increase that requires more infrastructure to house more people, and more cars to move them around. This makes it a perfect 'laboratory' to study how birds respond to new, busy conditions, according to study authors. The researchers selected 38 warbler territories on two islands of the archipelago: Santa Cruz Island, and Floreana Island; both crossed by a main road used by cars. The warblers were located either near the road or at least 300 feet away. In each territory, they played recordings of traffic noise and warblers singing, which simulated an intrusion. 'Each bird was tested once with just the warbler speaker being active, and once with the warbler speaker plus the [car] noise speaker active,' says Çağlar Akçay, a behavioral ecologist at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and study author. When exposed to the sounds of encroaching birds and car noise playing in the background, the warblers living close to the road responded more aggressively than when there was no noise playing. They also responded more aggressively to noise compared to their 'rural' counterparts—getting closer to the speakers and sometimes even attacking them. Mike Webster, an ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who was not involved in the research, says the study is 'pretty convincing' and offers a clear look at how a single environmental change can influence behavior. '[It] really kind of helps us focus in on what the causes of the differences in behavior might be,' he says. Generally, animals that live in cities tend to be bolder and more aggressive—both characteristics that enable them to survive in such complex habitat. 'Individuals that can't deal with constant disturbance, such as noise, people, cars, etc. would be unlikely to thrive in an urban habitat,' says Hyman. Some birds may become more aggressive because cities are rich in food sources—and so there's strong competition to establish a foothold. 'Only the most aggressive males can manage to hold a territory in this place where lots and lots of birds would like to have a territory,' says Hyman. But food scarcity may also make some urban species more aggressive, and so 'birds have to fight an awful lot in order to maintain a large enough territory to get the resources that they need.' High levels of stress caused by noise and other factors might also play a role in making birds more aggressive, notes Hyman. But does being more aggressive enhance your chances of survival? In some cases, aggression seems to be 'a worthwhile cost', says Sarah Foltz, a behavioral ecologist at Radford University. One study that looked at song sparrows living in southwest Virginia showed that aggression didn't impact how much bird parents invested in their offspring. Female birds even spent as much and sometimes more time at the nest than their less aggressive rural counterparts. Overall, the benefits of being more aggressive seem to depend on the kind of habitat the birds are in. For some species, like the song sparrow, some urban areas offer suitable habitats with more food and fewer predators. They might become more aggressive to defend it, and ensure a good habitat were to raise their offspring—and so have better chance of survival. Another 'big unanswered question,' says Hyman, is whether birds learn to be aggressive during their lifetime, or if birds born in urban populations have some measure of aggression encoded in their genes. 'There's little bits of evidence on both sides,' he says. But what scientists do know is that some birds can be highly adaptable. 'Aggression definitely has a genetic component to it,' says Foltz. 'But also, we know that when we change environmental factors, birds change their aggression' Overall, Foltz says scientists are still trying to understand just how much urban density different species can tolerate and which characteristics of an urban environment influence aggressiveness the most. 'We've got all these little pieces,' she says, 'But it's still coming together to make a bigger picture, so it's sort of an unfinished puzzle.'
National Geographic
14 hours ago
- Science
- National Geographic
The surprisingly relatable reason why some birds get cranky
Trafficked roads, loud noises, suffocating smog. For some people, living in the city can be stressful and unnerving. But a growing body of research shows some city birds can be more aggressive than their rural counterparts, suggesting they too feel the pressures of city life. In a study published in April in the journal Animal Behavior, researchers showed that Galápagos yellow warblers that live near trafficked roads in the Ecuadorian archipelago respond to intruders more aggressively than those living farther away from traffic. They're not the only bird species affected by city life. Numerous studies have investigated the phenomenon of angry urban birds—finding that species such as great tits, European robins, song sparrows, and dark-eyed juncos show more aggression toward each other when they live near urbanized sites. While it's clear that 'in some species of birds, urban populations are more aggressive than rural populations,' there are many different theories for why this happens, says Jeremy Hyman, a professor and department chair of biology at Western Carolina University. A song sparrow sings on a branch in California. Research suggests song sparrows may display more aggression in cities because they feel more territorial. Photograph By Marie Read/Nature Picture Library In the last decades, the Galápagos archipelago has seen a drastic increase in the human population, with permanent residents today increasing by six percent each year. An increase that requires more infrastructure to house more people, and more cars to move them around. This makes it a perfect 'laboratory' to study how birds respond to new, busy conditions, according to study authors. The researchers selected 38 warbler territories on two islands of the archipelago: Santa Cruz Island, and Floreana Island; both crossed by a main road used by cars. The warblers were located either near the road or at least 300 feet away. From scuba diving to set-jetting In each territory, they played recordings of traffic noise and warblers singing, which simulated an intrusion. 'Each bird was tested once with just the warbler speaker being active, and once with the warbler speaker plus the [car] noise speaker active,' says Çağlar Akçay, a behavioral ecologist at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and study author. When exposed to the sounds of encroaching birds and car noise playing in the background, the warblers living close to the road responded more aggressively than when there was no noise playing. They also responded more aggressively to noise compared to their 'rural' counterparts—getting closer to the speakers and sometimes even attacking them. Mike Webster, an ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who was not involved in the research, says the study is 'pretty convincing' and offers a clear look at how a single environmental change can influence behavior. '[It] really kind of helps us focus in on what the causes of the differences in behavior might be,' he says. Why so angry? Generally, animals that live in cities tend to be bolder and more aggressive—both characteristics that enable them to survive in such complex habitat. 'Individuals that can't deal with constant disturbance, such as noise, people, cars, etc. would be unlikely to thrive in an urban habitat,' says Hyman. Some birds may become more aggressive because cities are rich in food sources—and so there's strong competition to establish a foothold. 'Only the most aggressive males can manage to hold a territory in this place where lots and lots of birds would like to have a territory,' says Hyman. But food scarcity may also make some urban species more aggressive, and so 'birds have to fight an awful lot in order to maintain a large enough territory to get the resources that they need.' High levels of stress caused by noise and other factors might also play a role in making birds more aggressive, notes Hyman. But does being more aggressive enhance your chances of survival? In some cases, aggression seems to be 'a worthwhile cost', says Sarah Foltz, a behavioral ecologist at Radford University. One study that looked at song sparrows living in southwest Virginia showed that aggression didn't impact how much bird parents invested in their offspring. Female birds even spent as much and sometimes more time at the nest than their less aggressive rural counterparts. Overall, the benefits of being more aggressive seem to depend on the kind of habitat the birds are in. For some species, like the song sparrow, some urban areas offer suitable habitats with more food and fewer predators. They might become more aggressive to defend it, and ensure a good habitat were to raise their offspring—and so have better chance of survival. Another 'big unanswered question,' says Hyman, is whether birds learn to be aggressive during their lifetime, or if birds born in urban populations have some measure of aggression encoded in their genes. 'There's little bits of evidence on both sides,' he says. But what scientists do know is that some birds can be highly adaptable. 'Aggression definitely has a genetic component to it,' says Foltz. 'But also, we know that when we change environmental factors, birds change their aggression' Overall, Foltz says scientists are still trying to understand just how much urban density different species can tolerate and which characteristics of an urban environment influence aggressiveness the most. 'We've got all these little pieces,' she says, 'But it's still coming together to make a bigger picture, so it's sort of an unfinished puzzle.'
Skift
4 days ago
- Business
- Skift
MSC Cruises Is Reimagining the Private Island Experience Through Conservation
Cruise lines are rethinking what drives guest interest in a destination. Conservation-led private islands investing in ocean health and local communities are creating the kind of differentiation guests increasingly expect and value. This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. Private islands have become unique opportunities for cruise lines looking to create a memorable guest experience and diversify their brand. At the same time, there's a growing interest in experiences focused on quiet, nature-based engagement. Recent research from the Galápagos Islands found that satisfaction and loyalty are highest in destinations that provide ecological engagement, structured learning, and time for quiet reflection. This shift is happening against a backdrop of timely events, including the most severe coral reef bleaching on record between January 2023 and April 2025, which has left 84% of surveyed reefs pale white due to extreme heat stress. As World Oceans Day and World Reef Awareness Day take place this week, the time is now to take action. Amid these events, private islands' long-term relevance depends on their ability to support conservation and deliver experiences that align with travelers' growing expectations for sustainability while still providing exceptional hospitality. Initiatives that promote ocean health and environmental conservation in tandem with memorable hospitality will be critical differentiators in the competitive Caribbean cruise market. Innovating with Purpose Located in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is an example of this shift. MSC Cruises has transformed this former abandoned industrial site into a destination rooted in conservation and restoration. 'We took a different approach to developing Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve because we wanted to create a destination that provides travelers a deeper connection to nature,' said Lynn Torrent, president of MSC Cruises North America. 'We envisioned Ocean Cay as a living example of regeneration and ocean stewardship in line with the growing desire among travelers for destinations that align with their values and contribute to the planet's health.' Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Source: MSC Cruises Before MSC Cruises entered the picture, the island was a sand excavation site left in poor condition after decades of industrial activity. MSC Cruises made significant investments to rehabilitate the neglected island, removing thousands of tons of scrap metal, relocating almost a million cubic yards of sand, and planting 5,000 palm trees and 75,000 native shrubs. The company also replaced the island's industrial scars with native vegetation, installed solar infrastructure to reduce its environmental footprint, and kept shoreline development to a minimum to protect the coastal ecosystem. Integrating Conservation Into the Guest Experience The island experience at Ocean Cay begins with nature and circles back to conserving it: What looks like a tropical escape is one of the Caribbean's most ambitious coral restoration projects. The MSC Foundation (MSC Group's philanthropic arm focused on environmental protection, education, and community support) restores endangered coral species and studies their ability to withstand rising ocean temperatures through its Super Coral Reefs Program. 'Our vision is to turn scientific discovery into real-world impact by combining research with restoration and education. We're not only growing thermally resilient coral but also growing awareness,' said Daniela Picco, executive director of the MSC Foundation. At the heart of this work, the newly opened Marine Conservation Center houses 22 coral tanks, a fully equipped bio lab, and a lecture hall. The center functions as a base for restoration and research, an educational hub, and a guest-facing venue that integrates regeneration directly into the guest experience. Ocean Cay Marine Conservation Center. Source: MSC Cruises The island encourages guests to slow down and engage with the environment. On target to begin in the fall, guests can attend talks from marine conservation experts, watch coral restoration efforts in progress, or join guided eco-excursions that explore the fragility and resilience of the island's surrounding reef. 'These experiences allow guests to deepen their understanding of coral restoration, making them active participants in Ocean Cay's ongoing story of environmental stewardship,' said Torrent. The work extends well beyond what guests see on the island. Populated by five coral species and 13 genotypes, the offshore coral nursery has achieved a 100% survival rate through the 2023 Caribbean marine heatwave. Scaling Impact According to Torrent, the next phase involves outplanting coral fragments for long-term reef restoration efforts. As of April 2025, MSC Foundation has already begun outplanting nursery-grown coral fragments at two reef sites near Ocean Cay in partnership with the Perry Institute for Marine Science. Together, they've planted over 200 fragments across five species, including the critically endangered elkhorn coral, at varying depths based on their maturity and potential for long-term survival. Divers cleaned the seafloor and secured the fragments using marine-safe cement, placing genetically related colonies in proximity to encourage natural fusion and improve reef resilience. Ocean Cay underwater coral nursery. Source: MSC Cruises This conservation-first model has brought Ocean Cay recognition within the global marine science and conservation community. Mission Blue declared the island a Hope Spot, placing it in a global network of over 160 locations that scientists identify as critical to ocean health. Founded by oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue highlights marine areas with the potential for ecological restoration. "Ocean Cay's restoration has been a multidisciplinary effort to re-establish the ecological balance of this limestone island and its surrounding marine estate," said Earle. "It informs thousands of people weekly about the importance of growing and outplanting thermally tolerant corals for marine conservation, ocean health, and human wellbeing." Economic Anchoring and Local Impact in the Bahamas As a fully staffed island destination, Ocean Cay has become a local employer with nearly 300 employees, with Bahamians making up 80% of its workforce. MSC Cruises plans to grow that number to over 500 employees in the next two to four years, increasing Bahamian representation across all services and roles. This investment takes many forms. MSC Cruises has partnered with local institutions to offer scholarships and internships for Bahamian students in marine science and sustainability, with the aim of helping build the country's future conservation workforce. 'A critical aspect of our Foundation's work are partnerships with universities such as Nova Southeastern, the University of Miami, the University of The Bahamas, and The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) to enable hands-on education and internships, passing on Ocean Cay's coral restoration commitment to the next generation of marine conservation leaders,' said Torrent. 'Our long-term vision is to deepen these collaborations, expand coral outplanting efforts, and scale public education programs.' She continued: 'Over the next decade, the most successful private islands will be those that go beyond scenic beauty and entertainment. They'll offer authentic experiences that deliver real value to nature and local communities.' That model is already taking shape at Ocean Cay. As more travelers seek out destinations with depth and purpose, it may well become the blueprint others follow. To learn more about MSC Cruises, click here. This content was created collaboratively by MSC Cruises and Skift's branded content studio, SkiftX.
Forbes
18-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
A Biologist Highlights 3 Aquatic Animals You Didn't Know Existed. Hint: One Is David Attenborough's Favorite Creature
A vast proportion of our oceans still remain unexplored and mysterious, with unimaginable diversity ... More calling them home. The ocean's depths harbor some of the strangest and most beautiful life forms on the planet. While creatures like dolphins and clownfish capture headlines, countless other species remain hidden from public view, often because they dwell in remote or deeper waters. Among these overlooked wonders are fish and invertebrates whose bizarre shapes and behaviors challenge our notions of what marine life can be. From fish that "walk" along the sea floor to invertebrate colonies that resemble antique quill pens, these animals showcase evolution's creativity. By shining a light on the red-lipped batfish, the weedy sea-dragon and the sea pen, we'll uncover how each has adapted to its environment in striking ways — revealing feeding strategies, reproductive marvels and evolutionary lineages that stretch back hundreds of millions of years. Red-lipped batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini) walks along the seafloor using limb-like fins, blending ... More into sandy habitats around the Galápagos. The red-lipped batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini) reaches up to 40 cm (~15 inches) in length and sports a stocky, flattened body covered in smooth, shagreen-like skin punctuated by fine spinules. Its most famous feature, of course, is a pair of bright red, almost fluorescent lips, thought to play a role in species recognition during spawning. Rather than swimming, this species "walks" on the ocean floor using highly modified pectoral, pelvic and anal fins that act like limbs — propelling it in a frog-like gait among sand and rocks. When mature, its dorsal fin transforms into a single spine-like illicium, which functions as a lure to attract prey. Habitat is limited to the neritic zone around the Galápagos Islands and off the coast of Peru and Ecuador at depths from 3 m (~10 feet) to about 120 m (~400 feet). These bottom dwellers prefer sandy habitats or reef edges where they can blend in by changing body coloration to match substrates. As carnivores, red-lipped batfish feed on small fish, crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs, worms and mollusks, employing a sit-and-wait ambush strategy that relies on camouflage and the element of surprise. Once prey is lured close by the glowing esca, the batfish snaps it up with a quick suction action, aided by its wide, extendable mouth. Evolutionary studies show that batfish, such as Ogcocephalus darwini, belong to the anglerfish lineage (Lophioidei) — a diverse group of over 400 species. Within this lineage, the batfish family (Ogcocephalidae) diverged roughly 50 to 65 million years ago and has adapted to life on the seafloor, from shallow coastal areas to deep waters across most tropical and subtropical seas. More than 75 species are currently recognized within this family. Weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus), a master of camouflage, glides through kelp forests ... More along Australia's southern coast. The weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus), also known as the common seadragon, is found along the southern coast of Australia, from Western Australia to New South Wales and Tasmania. It inhabits kelp forests and seagrass meadows at depths of up to 50 meters (165 feet), where its leaf-like appendages and vibrant body coloration provide superb camouflage among the seaweed. Physiologically, seadragons lack teeth and stomachs, feeding by suction through a long, tubular snout. They consume tiny crustaceans — primarily mysid shrimp, sea lice and larval fish, often feeding nearly constantly to compensate for their rapid digestion. They rely on subtle movements of their dorsal and pectoral fins to hover and glide, minimizing disturbance of their surroundings to avoid detection by predators. Sir David Attenborough has often cited the weedy seadragon as one of his favorite creatures, marveling at how "they've evolved to look like weeds and spend the entire day dancing." In various interviews and conservation efforts, he has highlighted the species' beauty and the importance of preserving its fragile habitat. This is because genetic studies have indicated low overall genetic diversity and the presence of distinct populations shaped by historical sea-level changes during the Last Glacial Maximum, underscoring the species' vulnerability to environmental shifts. Sea pen anchored in soft sediment, displaying its quill-like structure and feeding polyps extended ... More into the current. Sea pens are colonial cnidarians in the order Pennatulacea, named for their resemblance to antique quill pens when anchored in soft sediment. Found worldwide — from shallow intertidal zones to depths exceeding 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) — sea pens anchor themselves by a bulbous peduncle from which specialized polyps extend. As filter feeders, sea pens rely on two main polyp types: autozooids, armed with nematocysts for capturing plankton and small particles, and siphonozooids, which draw water through the colony's canal system to facilitate feeding and respiration. They feed on microscopic plankton, benefiting from currents by orienting themselves perpendicular to the flow to maximize food intake. Pennatulaceans have an ancient evolutionary lineage, with fossils tracing back to the Cambrian Burgess Shale. Genetic analyses suggest that key sea pen traits have evolved convergently in response to habitat depth and substrate type. Sea pens can produce a bioluminescent glow when disturbed, flashing a greenish light to startle predators such as sea stars and nudibranchs. They also exhibit the ability to retract rapidly into their peduncle or even detach and re-anchor to escape unfavorable conditions. Some species, like the orange sea pen (Ptilosarcus gurneyi), have been studied for their predator-specific defensive behaviors, including rapid contraction and light emission against certain starfish attackers. Does being in the natural world make you feel a sense of peace and fulfillment? Do you feel a deep sense of belonging and relationship with the Earth? Take this test to find out if you are one with Mother Nature: Connectedness to Nature Scale.
