Outdoors
Fishing, coastlines and wildlife observations
Regular recreational fishing in Louisiana’s Delta marshes, time on Gulf Coast waterways, and outdoor experiences in New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii.
I enjoy fishing, walking, watching wildlife and photographing the places I visit. These are personal recreational experiences that inform my interest in wildlife and fisheries.
Gulf Coast · Louisiana
Louisiana’s lakes, rivers, bayous and coastal marshes have been part of my outdoor life for many years, including recent outings. My experience extends from banks, docks and boardwalks to beaches, barrier islands, coastal bays and offshore Gulf trips.
Fishing and time on the water
Recreational fishing in the Delta marshes was approximately monthly during 2025–2026. My catches across different outings have included speckled trout, flounder, perch, croaker, sheepshead, black drum and redfish. In freshwater, I have caught or handled largemouth bass, sunfish or bream, crappie or sac-a-lait, freshwater drum, carp and small bait fish.
I bait hooks or choose lures, cast, retrieve, land fish and remove hooks myself. I have released catches and kept some for food, then prepared or cooked fish cleaned by someone else. Offshore outings have included fishing from a boat and watching marine animals and seabirds.
Most of my motorboat experience is as a passenger, with brief turns at the controls, including childhood experience under my grandfather’s supervision. I have also paddled with guidance or as part of a shared crew.
Wildlife I have encountered in Louisiana
- Freshwater and wetland life: catfish, gar, bowfin, crawfish, red-eared sliders, snapping and softshell turtles, American alligators, water snakes, frogs and live freshwater mussels. I keep broad names where I am unsure of the exact type.
- Waterway birds: great blue herons, egrets, mallards, wood ducks, black-bellied whistling ducks, blue-winged and green-winged teal, belted kingfishers and bald eagles.
- Coastal and offshore encounters: mullet, kingfish or ground mullet, Spanish and king mackerel, bluefish, red snapper, grouper and mahi-mahi; bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, rays and jellyfish. Encounters include observations as well as fishing outings.
- Shoreline life: brown and American white pelicans, gulls, American oystercatchers, blue and fiddler crabs, hermit and horseshoe crabs, sea stars and sea anemones.
- Woodland and other mammals: nutria, river otters, beavers, white-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, armadillos, feral hogs, rabbits, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and bats.
- Birds and smaller wildlife around woods, parks and gardens: red-bellied woodpeckers, barred and great horned owls, cardinals, blue jays, mockingbirds, mourning doves, hummingbirds, red-tailed hawks and vultures; dragonflies, damselflies, fireflies, butterflies, moths, spiders and other familiar garden wildlife.
Beyond fishing, I walk in parks and wooded areas, garden, watch seasonal changes and returning wildlife, and take outdoor photographs.
New Zealand
During my March–May 2026 travels, I spent time in urban parks, native bush, freshwater settings, wetlands, beaches and hills. Activities included walking and hiking, guided nature outings, wildlife observation, photography, beachcombing, passenger boat trips and swimming or wading. I also visited managed wildlife facilities and rural landscapes.
Fishing and wildlife observation
My fishing included Auckland pier outings and both freshwater and coastal fishing during the trip. I personally caught or handled snapper, blue cod and trout, baited hooks or selected lures, retrieved tackle, landed fish and removed hooks. Some catches were released and some retained for food; I prepared or cooked fish after others cleaned them.
Wildlife I have encountered in New Zealand
- Land and forest birds: kererū, pīwakawaka or fantails, silvereyes, bellbirds, grey warblers, New Zealand robins, morepork, kākāriki, kiwi, takahē, pūkeko and sacred kingfishers, alongside familiar introduced birds such as sparrows, blackbirds, goldfinches and Australian magpies.
- Water and coastal birds: mallards, black swans, red-billed and southern black-backed gulls, oystercatchers, royal spoonbills, white-faced herons, little blue penguins and yellow-eyed penguins.
- Marine and freshwater animals: New Zealand sea lions, bottlenose and common dolphins, kahawai, mullet, freshwater eels, sharks and rays, as well as snapper, blue cod and trout.
- Smaller wildlife: tuatara, frogs, glowworms, stick insects, butterflies and spiders; live crabs, mussels, oysters, pāua, sea stars, jellyfish and octopuses.
- Rural encounters: rabbits, hares and deer, plus sheep, cattle, horses, goats and alpacas or llamas in rural or farm settings.
Beachcombing, landscape photography and wildlife photographs were also part of the trip.
Australia
My March–May 2026 travels included shore fishing in Sydney, walks through parks and gardens, sandy beaches and outings in hill or mountain landscapes. I spent time observing and photographing wildlife, beachcombing, and swimming or wading.
Fishing and wildlife observation
I fished in coastal waters and personally caught or handled flathead, snapper, mullet and Australian salmon. I baited hooks or chose lures, cast, retrieved, landed fish and removed hooks. I released some catches, retained some for food, and prepared or cooked fish after someone else cleaned them.
Wildlife I have encountered in Australia
- Birds: rainbow lorikeets, sulphur-crested cockatoos, Australian magpies, magpie-larks, welcome swallows, crows or ravens, pigeons or doves, house sparrows, owls and other birds of prey.
- Mammals on land: kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats, flying foxes, other bats, rabbits and foxes.
- Coastal and water-associated wildlife: Australian pelicans, black swans, ducks, bottlenose dolphins and sea turtles.
- Smaller observations: butterflies and spiders, with empty shells examined during beachcombing.
Hawaii
My March–May 2026 travels included pier fishing in Honolulu, walks in parks and wooded areas, beaches and volcanic or mountain landscapes. I joined a guided nature outing, watched wildlife from shore, took photographs and examined shells while beachcombing.
Fishing and shore-based observations
I fished from shore, baited hooks or selected lures, cast, retrieved, landed fish and removed hooks. I released some catches and kept some for food, preparing or cooking fish after someone else cleaned them. I have left the catches unnamed where I cannot confidently identify them.
Wildlife I have encountered in Hawaii
- Birds around parks and gardens: red-crested and northern cardinals, house sparrows, house finches, Java sparrows, saffron finches, and pigeons or doves.
- Land wildlife: mongooses, goats roaming freely, bats in flight, butterflies, and dragonflies or damselflies.
- Marine wildlife seen from shore: Hawaiian monk seals, spinner and bottlenose dolphins, and sea turtles whose species I have not identified.