To relieve the boredom of sunbathing on my holidays in the Med I do a spot of sea fishing, and have done for 30 years....it is generally rubbish by the way. Cormorants are quite common and although I suppose someone will tell me they are a different sub species to those we get here, they look the same to me. The first time I saw one under water it frightened the life out of me as it suddenly appeared under my feet amongst the rocks, I had not seen it go under the water. What amazes is me is that it isn't a bird that just dives down and grabs hold of something, it swims along looking for prey. It can swim along and stop and inspect every nook and cranny along a rock face, it will stick its beak into every hole, stop pull back, have another look, drop down a foot have a look in the next hole, come up, look behind another rock.Until I saw it the first time I presumed that diving birds went under, chased a shoal or individual until they ran out of breath and if a fish saw them coming they could hide until the coast is clear. With a Cormorant if they hide they're toast, it will swim down and around and inspect every hidey hole.
didn't see it go in so does anyone know how long they can stay under water.
