Mallorca

"Well beyond the coasts, now in mid sea, the world of knowledge available is entirely different. Here, the true masters of the sea reign uncontested, in particular, sea gulls, of which there are six species on Mallorca. The most frequent and beautiful is the European herring gull (Larus argentatus) which flies over Palma Bay in large flocks and doesn’t shy away from even nearing the city’s doors. The second worth mentioning are the  black-tailed shearwater and the Manx shearwater (Puffinus cinereus and P. anglorum), island inhabitants throughout the year, especially in Sa Dragonera and Cabrera. The first is known on the island as baldritja, while the second is called guay-guay due to the sound of its call. Shearwaters are distinguished by their even faster and more agile movements than those of the gulls. However, they are more easily winded unless the gulls grotesquely and graciously let them win. Compared to the shearwaters, we could say that gulls are more like crazed teens.

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) or the sea eagle (Haliaetus albicilla) often form large circles flying over this picturesque company, dedicated pursuers of small fry. The sea eagle is particularly abundant in the strait between the islands of Mallorca and Sa Dragonera, while the first shares those winds and also frequents the island of Cabrera where it nests. However, we should note that we don’t see great numbers of either bird. Even more characteristic of seascapes than gulls, sheerwaters and sea eagles are the petrels whose aerial domain extends from the Mallorcan coast to the African continent. When storms blow and foamy waves break the sea surface, these petrels launch themselves in noisy jubilation towards the cut-off crests, where they seem to embark in a frenzied dance with black dolphins."

Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria. Las Baleares por la palabra y el grabado. Majorca: General Part. Ed. Sa Nostra, Caja de Baleares. Palma de Mallorca. 1982.