You would think that a creature as majestic as a black-footed loon would have the instinct and intelligence to follow boats other than mine when it is looking for an basic meal in the form of a dead fish or something I throw away.
First, I don’t have the skills to catch many fish. Second, I don’t feel like throwing anything away. On the other hand, whether the loons circle my boat like a pilot fish on a shark or bob astern like seagulls in a ship’s wake, eventually they realize their mistake. One moment they’re so close I can see the red in their eyes, but the next they’re diving into the depths and surfacing so far away that I can only see their silhouettes.
Loons are an attraction on fishing trips, but why are they so drawn to us?
