{"id":3576,"date":"2023-10-25T12:00:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T12:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.zeiss.com\/sports-optics\/birding\/en\/?p=3576"},"modified":"2023-10-25T12:00:39","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T12:00:39","slug":"life-on-sail-jennifers-mission-to-nurture-our-connection-with-the-untamed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.zeiss.com\/sports-optics\/birding\/en\/life-on-sail-jennifers-mission-to-nurture-our-connection-with-the-untamed\/","title":{"rendered":"Life on sail: Jennifer\u2019s mission to nurture our connection with the untamed\u00a0!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I started working as an expedition guide onboard cruise ships two years ago, after COVID hit and remodeled our world. Before that, I was living on a beautiful island lost in the Indian Ocean, filling up my soul with wild encounters and wildife conservation projects, the island of La R\u00e9union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2500 km\u00b2 of pure basalt, scarred by deep valleys and steep cliffs is what I was calling home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The island was harbouring the last colonies of two endangered petrel species (see photo\u00a0: Barau\u2019s petrel incubating its single egg in its underground nest). These birds were suffering from light pollution and predation from black rats and feral cats, even at the very top of the highest summits\u00a0!\u00a0During the winter months, the island\u2019s surrounding waters would transform into the birthing grounds of the majestic humpback whales. When the time arrived, every pair of eyes on land would start looking for them, spying on the sea surface to spot blows, tails, or fin slaps from afar. Their arrival would mark the start of the photo- identification and tagging campaigns.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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These animals were scrupulously studied, because so much remained unknown about their migration routes back to the colder waters of the Southern Pole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


***Intense***<\/strong>
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That is THE word I would very often use to describe my life on this island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 And I liked it that way.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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But I wanted more. More adventures. More discoveries. And when the opportunity came to set sail and explore more of the Indian Ocean, it didn\u2019t take me long to jump in !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And two years later, here I am on an epic journey sailing accross untamed waters, binoculars around the neck, always on the look-out to point out any wildlife one wouldn\u2019t want to miss\u00a0! Most of my days at sea are spent sharing my observations and educating passengers about the wild species we often come accross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is where my partnership with Zeiss comes into play. I needed binos which I could use for an extended time as the long hours of watch from the decks often require. As many observations are also made from our zodiacs, I was also looking for binos which would allow me to find and focus on targets quickly, on unstable ground. Lightweight and sharpness were the two main criteria I had in mind. Field testing the SFL 8*30<\/a> was thus a great occasion for me to experience high quality equipment and see if it could become part of my everyday expedition outfit\u00a0!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Mediterranean is where I had the chance to spend a few weeks of my summer this year. One day, as the sun was setting and the light conditions were low, I was on the outside decks on observation duty with my SFLs. This is the moment a group of three striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba<\/em> chose to come and ride the bow wave of our ship.  We know that this phenomenon existed in ancient times as scholars have pointed out that bow surfing by dolphins was already described by the Greeks. Yet, there is still a lot of mystery about why they do it : is it to receive a power boost to get to new hunting or socialising grounds ? Is it to optimize their chances of getting fish ? Or is it simply a playful behaviour ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing for sure, it\u2019s always fun for us to watch them surf and jostle to catch that extra push !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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