01/08/2025
An eagle that flew for 20 years... but never crossed the sea.
For two decades, a steppe eagle was tracked by GPS from Russia until its death in Saudi Arabia's Valle del Niño. Its journey is astonishing: thousands of kilometers crossing deserts, mountains, and several countries. But the most fascinating thing wasn't the distance... but the route it chose. Despite having shorter paths over the sea, this bird avoided flying over water altogether.
It preferred to circle vast sea masses, tracing much longer paths just to stay on land. Why? Unlike seabirds like albatrosses or gulls, they need thermals—currents of warm air that rise from the Earth's surface and allow them to glide long distances without expending much energy. But over the sea... These thermals are almost nonexistent. Flying there would involve enormous effort, with the risk of falling exhausted. This instinctive choice reveals a surprising evolutionary intelligence: the bird not only navigates the sky, but also reads the landscape precisely to survive. This map shows not just a journey; it shows the silent harmony of nature.
