There is a stretch of land along the southernmost coast of the Southern Island of New Zealand known as Curio Bay. I visited about five years ago in search of the Hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin (seen above). And here, at long last, is a story that emerged from that visit, published in Kelp Journal. Thanks … Read more
This from a sobering research report published last week by some of the world’s leading experts on penguins. The report notes that “more than half of the world’s 18 penguin species are declining.” The three species most in danger are: African penguin Galápagos penguin Yellow-eyed penguin (seen below in New Zealand) The report notes that … Read more
Let me just that I have newfound respect for those who create audiobooks, because after a month of starts and stops and re-recordings I’m happy to announce the audiobook for The Tourist Trail. It’s available on Audible and comes in at just over 7 hours, which by no means reflects how many hours went into … Read more
The cover of the first edition of The Tourist Trail features a landscape photograph of the Magellanic penguin colony along the shores of Argentina, the precise location where the book begins. It was a photograph I had taken and I thought it would make a nice cover. And it did, but it didn’t make a … Read more
If you enjoyed The Tourist Trail then I’m sure you will love My Last Continent. It’s about a penguin researcher, a shipwreck, and a romance below the Antarctic Circle. Click here to learn more.
The Tourist Trail takes place on the site of the world’s largest Magellanic penguin colony and, though the book is fiction, the colony is very much real. It is located on the coast of Punta Tombo, Argentina. And this coastal region has long been heavily fished, which means penguins have for decades been caught up in … Read more
The Adélie penguin has long been viewed as in rapid decline, largely because of the number of shrinking and abandoned penguin colonies around the Antarctic peninsula. But it appears that the penguin may not be declining so much as changing address. According to this WSJ article, the penguin has actually increased in numbers globally: The … Read more
We all know or should know by now that polar bears are suffering from reduced ice up north. But few people know about what’s happening to penguins down south. If you have a spare 10 minutes, listen to this interview with Dee Boersma on her recent study about Magellanic Penguins in Punta Tombo, Argentina. I … Read more
I’m biased, of course. I’m the editor. But I’m also a reader and I’ve consistently been frustrated over the years by the lack of novels and short stories that truly “get” the complex (and often violent) relationships between humans and animals. I’m immensely proud of this book. If you’re a member of the media or … Read more
A recent study reported on in the New York Times found that 400,000 seabirds are getting killed each year by gillnets — those long nets used by fishing vessels. And you can add roughly 160,000 additional seabirds that are hooked by longlines. In short, modern fishing practices are destroying the oceans and its creatures. From … Read more