Did you know that whale watching draws in 13 million people a year from 119 different countries? It also generates over $2.1 billion a year.
The Ifaw-commissioned report, compiled by the Australian organisation Economists at Large, found that income from whale watching had doubled over the last decade, with the fastest growth seen in Asia.
In 2008, it concluded, 13 million people went to sea to watch cetaceans in 119 countries.
[BBC New]
Even though we’ve only recently developed GPS systems that give us directions while we’re driving, birds have always been able to find their way during migration. Their sense of direction is dependent on a combination of three “maps” of their own.
Birds who migrate during the day can orient themselves by the position of the sun. Obviously, sunrise and sunset will indicate east and west, but even in the middle of the day they can ascertain where they are by the sun’s position in the sky.
Birds who prefer to travel at night use not only the moon, but they learn the constellations and navigate by them (just like old sailors). The fixed North Star is the most important, but all of the constellations are useful in figuring out time and location.
Finally, birds have a substance called magnetite located just above their beaks. This is a mineral that helps them determine Earth’s magnetic field, so they can navigate using true north.
Birds also have very keen eyesight and will use landmarks like mountains, rivers, even our own manmade buildings and roads to help them find their way.
[more about bird migration]