Recently, my wife and I were on a beach holiday in Port Nolloth which is situated on the north-west coast of South Africa near the Namibia border. It faces the Atlantic and the sea is cool as it is fed by the cold Benguela current coming from the South Pole. It is in the Richtersveld; a pretty hostile area for human beings. No vegetation grows naturally, except for shrubs, because of the climate. It is a virtual desert. However, the immediate shoreline has agreeable temperatures in both summer and winter. There is an abundance of sea life onshore, offshore, and in the water.
About one kilometre off the beach there is a series on small low-lying rocky outcrops which form a kind of natural reef protecting the bay from the wild ocean. These islets are also the home of several colonies of sea birds. This is the setting for the story and the lessons.
Inge and I have paddled the quiet waters for many hours and have had the privilege of witnessing what can only be described as National Geographic moments. Quite beside the experience of paddling among inquisitive seals while they fish, one event has convinced me that the kelp gull could be an example to us all.
From our beach location we can study the behaviour of many bird species on the beach itself. The largest of these is the kelp gull. From our canoes we have opportunity to see these gulls flying about with effortless accuracy, using the breeze or wind to move up, down and around, looking out for the odd fish near the surface, flirting their wings with the waves, doing tight turns in the air, and then, just as comfortably settle down on the water surface and behaving like ducks. They have a huge wingspan for their size which enables them to be extremely agile in the air. The kelp gull can hunt for fish by diving from the air or while sitting on the water. I forgot to mention that they have web feet and can move around on the surface too. They can swoop down and pick up unsuspecting prey on the ground without landing; they can tear molluscs like mussels from the rocks which they then drop back onto the rocks to break them open. They are supreme opportunists as we were about to discover.
We paddled to a quiet inlet behind the main outcrop where thousands of birds live and ‘parked’ the canoes onto the rocks. There was a cacophony of squawks, screeches and squeals from the multitude of birds as they saw us walking on the rocks. Let me be clear; we were not trying to interfere with the birds in any way and we respected the distance between us and them. All we wanted was to get a closer look at them, and from a different angle than the view we had from our canoes. Despite our best efforts many of the cormorants became agitated, and some flew up as if to get away. What we did not know is that many of them were sitting on nests. It was only as they flew up that we saw eggs in nests. This was the NatGeo moment.
The gulls had been flying around making a tremendous noise as if to add to the chaos and unsettling of the cormorants. As soon as the cormorants were in the air, the gulls swooped down and started stealing eggs. The flying cormorants were helpless to prevent what was taking place. They were torn between protecting their eggs from the gulls and themselves from the invading humans. We also looked on helplessly and immediately started retreating towards our boats, feeling like we had betrayed the nesting cormorants and violated the natural course of nature.
I have often heard the question: ”If you were an animal, which one would you choose to be?”
And just as often I have heard replies like “a lion’’, “a tiger”, “a bear”, “an eagle”, or even “a killer whale”. I am sure I have chosen one of these too over the years. After all they rule their respective kingdoms, are at the top of the food chain, and are feared wherever they are.
However, having witnessed the kelp gulls in their daily lives, I have changed my mind about which animal I would choose to be.
The majestic kelp gull is my choice for the following reasons.
- It rises above its territory for a better view
- It is a versatile and successful hunter
- It is physically and mentally alert and agile
- It is opportunistic
- It is omnivorous
- It has few natural predators
- It is monogamous and pairs raise chicks together
Not forgetting that these are animals and therefore do not operate within the confines of a conscience or even undue emotional stress. If one of their eggs is stolen, they do not mourn for too long and they do not allow this to affect their future. They just go right ahead and produce more eggs. They do not fear or respond to criticism or social pressure, are not anxious about tomorrow, and are not motivated by greed. Their ability to hunt on the ground, in the air, or in the water ensures food availability and survival under most conditions.
For we humans living in 2025, we need mental agility and adaptability like never before. Never has the world we live in changed at the speed which we are witnessing. The power of social and visual media enables us to absorb terabytes of information every time we look at our phones or open our computers, and this needs to be filtered. We need the kelp gull’s bird’s eye view of our circumstances, as well as its adaptability and versatility to function. We need to plan knowing that at any moment we may have to change course just to stay in the race. Like the gull, we need not be anxious about tomorrow and remind ourselves that there is enough for everyone. We need to keep life simple but focused on what is important.
Birdlife on the beach
Arctic Tern, Hartlaub’s Gull, Kelp Gull
Birdlife on the islets
Bank Cormorant, White-breasted Cormorant, Lesser Flamingo
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