Cameron Eckert
Kittlitz's & Friend
Kittlitz's Murrelet, Glacier Bay, Alaska. 19 July 2016.
Yumi Arimitsu identified the prey as a lantern fish (aka the uber fatty Myctophid!); and notes that this mesopelagic fish is typically much deeper in the water column (200-600 m) during the day but near the glaciers it occurs near the surface because there's no light in the turbid waters. The vast majority of Myctophids in Glacier Bay are Northern Lampfish.
Kittlitz's Murrelet is one of the World's rarest seabirds -- with the total population numbering just 30-50,000. It is also a species at risk, as glaciers rapidly melt and their critical habitat is lost.
Glacier Bay, Alaska is the best place in the world to view numbers of Kittliz's Murrelets, and late July generally sees the highest numbers.
Kittlitz's & Friend
Kittlitz's Murrelet, Glacier Bay, Alaska. 19 July 2016.
Yumi Arimitsu identified the prey as a lantern fish (aka the uber fatty Myctophid!); and notes that this mesopelagic fish is typically much deeper in the water column (200-600 m) during the day but near the glaciers it occurs near the surface because there's no light in the turbid waters. The vast majority of Myctophids in Glacier Bay are Northern Lampfish.
Kittlitz's Murrelet is one of the World's rarest seabirds -- with the total population numbering just 30-50,000. It is also a species at risk, as glaciers rapidly melt and their critical habitat is lost.
Glacier Bay, Alaska is the best place in the world to view numbers of Kittliz's Murrelets, and late July generally sees the highest numbers.