I have not seen very much wild wildlife during my first week riding through Morocco, but I have seen plenty of animals. Donkeys, horses and mules are a common sight, often pulling carts along the roads and through towns. I have also encountered quite a few dogs, including two that decided to chase me while I was riding my bicycle!
One of the most interesting animals I have noticed has been the White Stork. I have seen their enormous nests high above the ground on towers and utility poles around Rabat. These huge nests are made from sticks and can be seen on tall buildings, ruins, trees and other structures.
The coolest thing I saw in nature this week was the Atlantic Ocean. I spend much of my working life aboard a research vessel, where the ocean is my workplace. On the ship, I help scientists explore and study what lies beneath the seafloor. This week, I have been experiencing that same ocean from a completely different perspective, riding along the coast of Morocco on a bicycle.
Instead of looking out from the deck of a research vessel, I have been seeing the Atlantic from beaches, coastal roads and small towns. I have now reached Moulay Bousselham, a fishing town where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Merja Zerga lagoon. Seeing the ocean from both land and sea is a good reminder of how connected these environments are, and how much there is to explore from either side of the shoreline.
