This deep-diving Brandt"s cormorant appears to be on the hunt for a meal, and there"s plenty of Pacific chub mackerel to choose from here off the coast of Los Angeles, California. While seabirds like the cormorant are a threat to these fish, the mackerel aren"t exactly defenseless. Fish have many unique means of defense, such as traveling in dense schools like this one. It"s a technique that not only allows for speedy travel (because it reduces friction on most of the fish in the school)—schooling also makes it more difficult for predators to pick out an individual victim. For these fish, there"s safety in numbers. But when all else fails, they can take some advice from Dory in "Finding Nemo"—"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."
A seabird gets schooled
Today in History
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Nakupenda Beach Nature Reserve, Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Whatever floats your boat
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Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background
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A bird of beauty
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Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
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World Bicycle Day
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A swim in the sky
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Breaking the fast for Eid
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Roman theater of Cartagena, Spain
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National Bird Day
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Kirkjufell, Iceland
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National Napping Day
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Rethymno, Crete, Greece
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Space is for everyone
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Daylight saving time begins
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Quiver trees in Namibia
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Happy Independence Day!
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Mount Hood, Oregon
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A courtyard scene from Spain
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Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
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South Padre Island, Texas
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Frost-covered dunes on Mars
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World Sea Turtle Day
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A circular celebration
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Here there be dragons
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World Space Week begins
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Observing a squirrelly day
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Pride Month
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How Quảng Ngãi got its grove back
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Astrotourism at its finest