To give you a better idea what the bird looks like under more normal conditions (if looking down at a seabird is normal!), here is another shot of the bird:
Boobies are not related to gulls, despite their superficially similar appearance. Before the Brown Booby incursion of the last decade (or so), Masked Booby was the presumed booby species to see in the Gulf. Now Brown is also found regularly. Their close relative, the Northern Gannet, is also regular in winter and often seen from shore.
Steven's bird was 80 miles off the mouth of the River. Masked Boobies are generally not visible from land- finding them requires going out in a boat. The way most Louisiana birders get them is by participating in an organized trip, in which a group of birders pitch in to hire a boat. Recently a few birders on the LA-Bird listserve have reported on working the cruise ship angle- James Holmes and now Steven.
Boat birding is essentially the only way to get several other truly pelagic species that are seldom visible from shore. Audubon's Shearwater, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and Bridled Tern are three of the more regularly seen such "pelagics" on these trips, but a range of others are possible. As a general rule, such Gulf outings are not as birdy as comparable trips out of the well known East and West Coast pelagic birding hubs, but they are a must-do for birders serious about building up big personal Louisiana lists.
