The Cory’s Shearwater is a very special bird which often accompanies dolphins while gliding just above the waves, looking for food. Every year they come to the Azores to mate and raise their young. At the young age of only 3 months they make their big maiden trip across the Atlantic Ocean.
From March until October you can hear the sounds of Cory’s Shearwaters returning home all across the different islands. They live in groups, reaching maturity when they are 7 and they can grow up to 40 years ‘of age, returning to their birth place every year. 85% of the world population can be found on The Azores and Madeira.
This protected bird with excellent flying skills faces many challenges, such as urban growth and traffic, destruction of their nesting habitat and humans who like to capture them. But the Azores would not be the Azores if they had not started a campaign to help raise awareness among the local population.
The SOS Cagarro Campaign
The SOS Cagarro campaign finds place every year from October 15th until November 15th, around the time that the young Cory’s Shearwaters leave the nest. It is led by the regional government of the Azores. Aside from spreading the word, environmental education in schools and providing information on what to do in case of a collision with a young bird, the campaign also encourages people and organizations to rescue young Cory’s Shearwaters found along roads and supports rescue brigades on the field.
YŪGEN tours applauds this campaign which has been introduced already for the first time in 1995. As more and more travellers like to discover these beautiful islands in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, we consider it our role as a travel agent to raise awareness amongst our clients who may also come into contact with Cory’s Shearwaters while discovering this little paradise.
We like to credit Olivier Coucelos for the beautiful pictures and express our utmost gratitude for his permission to use them in our blog post.
Share your smile, go yugenstyle,
Iris
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