Cruise ships - are birds dying by the thousands?

Golden crowned sparrow aboard the Noordam on our trip to Alaska.

This was one lucky bird, unlike many of his feathered friends.  The passengers aboard the cruise ship who woke early saw the most stunning sight; the sky was crowded with passerine birds of many species silhouetted against the early morning sky.  The birds, in the midst of migrating, had been attracted to the vessel's lights during the evening and early morning hours.

I awoke a little later than those who first took in this spectacle, but I was still amazed at the thousands of birds that circled the ship.  My awe was cut short when I entered the Lido deck where the large glass canopy was dotted with bodies, not of people, of course, but of birds.  They had flown down to the ship's surface at night, attracted by the lights, and plunged directly into the glass structure.  Dead on impact.

These weren't the only casualties; there were more.  And then there were the birds that struck the sides of the ship, the cabin windows or verandahs, and fell to their death among the waves.  How many died, I wondered.  Dozens?  Hundreds?  Maybe more?

I decided to look up on the web to see if this was something that happened regularly.  To my horror, I found a video that duplicated the experience many shared that fateful morning.  It is worth a look.  Click here to see. 

There is a stunning account of many thousands of birds dying aboard a cruise ship at this website.  It is very disheartening.

I have been on several cruises and not experienced such an event before.  Truthfully, I imagine that it is somewhat rare, but would like to know more.  My guess is that the cruise ship industry downplays its significance.  How many birds die each year from colliding with ships?  It's just another reason why bird populations across the globe are in decline.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

Addendum - Letter to Audubon  and other birding sites.

I have recently become aware of the fact that countless birds are killed every year in the cruise ship industry.  This stems from my recent cruise aboard the Noordam, a ship belonging to Holland America.  While on a cruise to Alaska (September 14-28, 2025) there was the horrendous spectacle of thousands of birds flying about the ship very early in the morning.  There were many dead ones on various surfaces and a few live ones that were hopping about.

 I researched the phenomenon and discovered this was far from an isolated incident.  It seems that, particularly during migration season, thousands of birds are killed every year on cruise ships.  This isn’t isolated to the cruise industry but they are a major contributor because they run at night with lights aglow, which causes both disorientation and

 The significance of such events cannot be underestimated.  I am including three links, one is a daily blog that I write and the other two speak to the situation as described.  The links are below:

            1.       https://blogsbyericsvendsen.blogspot.com/2025/10/cruise-ships-are-birds-dying-by.html

2.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqwgwK2Wgxw

3.      https://daretobird.blogspot.com/2020/05/hundreds-of-birds-die-on-cruise-ship.html

 My purpose in writing this letter is to ask, “What can be done to reduce bird deaths on cruise lines?” and to encourage the powers that be to search for solutions.  Right now there is little public awareness of the issue and the cruise industry downplays it.  In fact, I would go as far to say that the cruise industry hides the fact from the public.  My understanding is that crews are told to dispose of bird carcasses and injured birds as quickly as possible so as to keep the public in the dark about the situation.  They no doubt don’t want to affect their bottom line.

 In short, the cruise line hides the bird casualties in order to benefit financially.  I find this appalling.  I do believe something can be done.  There just has to be an incentive.  Getting the word around is a good start.  This is where I see your organization coming in.  There is little I can do other than what I am doing.  Will you help?  All I want is to save birds.

 Thanks, Eric Svendsen          www.ericspixdotcom@gmail.com           www.ericspix.com