Cormorant Fishing – China

Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method where trained cormorant birds are used to catch fish in rivers and lakes. This ancient practice is still alive in some parts of China, particularly in areas like Guilin and Yangshuo. As a photographer, capturing the essence of Cormorant fishing can be a truly magical experience.

As the sun sets, fishermen light their lanterns and set off on rafts made of bamboo. The cormorants are fitted with a leather noose around their neck to prevent them from swallowing the catch. The birds dive for fish attracted to the light, capture them in their beaks and return to their owner’s raft. The noose is removed and the cormorants are allowed to eat once the night’s fishing is complete.

The Li River is located in southwest China’s Guangxi Province. This distinctive karst landscape with its surreal 300 foot limestone pinnacles and pillars has been the model for Chinese landscape art for centuries.