‘The Desertas petrel, a small agile seabird with long slender wings, seeks out powerful storms to hitch a ride. It darts into the spinning air, reaching areas within 200km (124 miles) of the storm’s eye.

“I can’t imagine the conditions,” says Francesco Ventura, a biologist and postdoctoral investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “These pigeon-sized birds, just a few hundred grams, experience winds up to 100km/h (62mph) and gigantic waves with ocean swells up to 8m (26ft). They’re amidst the storm’s madness.”

After the tropical cyclone passes, Ventura explains, “the birds align their movement along the hurricane’s wake. Now, they ride on the storm’s tail, foraging on creatures churned up from the twilight zone.”…’ ( via BBC)