Commuting by the Island every year in April and May are not only the graceful Humpback whales but also, soaring above them, the Shearwaters.

A pelagic bird, the Greater Shearwater has one of the longest migrations for any animal in the world.

By the time they are near Bermuda they have flown more than 8,000 miles.

Near starvation and exhausted, if the wind drops-out as they pass the Island, many a fisherman can find themselves enmeshed in these birds.

Because they are comfortable with humans, they are easily caught leading to the severe depletion of these animals.

This means, Bermudians need to be extra vigilant if they are out fishing during April and May when these birds could be passing the Island, according to Patrick Talbot, head aquarist at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

One of the other problems with the Shearwaters, which are mostly the Greater Shearwater, is that they can dive between 120 and 180 feet under water.

That leads them to being hooked on fishing lines and to their deaths.

Those that do survive either being attacked or hooked are brought to the Aquarium.

But Jeremy Madeiros, a Conservation Officer with the Department of Conservation Services, urged fishermen to try to relocate and not to attack these protected birds.

He said: "They can't afford (physically) to flap their wings and every two to three years we have this calm by Bermuda. That's when they can be a problem.

"Some will follow fishing boats because they try not to approach land. When they are starving, they don't see people as a threat."

The birds will usually be travelling along the South Shore of the Island, so on a calm day, Mr. Madeiros said fishing boats should try to stay on the East, West and North of Bermuda.

Other tactics include hanging coloured streamers from the back of the boat, which seems to ward off the overly friendly birds.

Mr. Talbot said: "We want the fisherman to be aware of these animals. The appearance of these birds in Bermuda comes in waves. A few years we don't see any, then we see six or seven.

"It depends on how they are doing out there."