Dark Fulmar
Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) in the Pacific are the same species that we have in Europe, yet they look very different. The majority are dark brown in colour but get progressively paler as you move north. But even the pale birds have a different back pattern to Atlantic birds, and the palest birds are pure white with just black primary tips. They usually glide very close to the sea surface but never seem to touch the water. But I managed to catch this individual in flat calm conditions just touching the surface with its wingtip. The sea was so mirror-like you can see more detail in the reflection than on the actual bird. This was photographed off the Commander Islands in Kamchatka.
Dark Fulmar
Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) in the Pacific are the same species that we have in Europe, yet they look very different. The majority are dark brown in colour but get progressively paler as you move north. But even the pale birds have a different back pattern to Atlantic birds, and the palest birds are pure white with just black primary tips. They usually glide very close to the sea surface but never seem to touch the water. But I managed to catch this individual in flat calm conditions just touching the surface with its wingtip. The sea was so mirror-like you can see more detail in the reflection than on the actual bird. This was photographed off the Commander Islands in Kamchatka.