The first one I ever saw was the Australasian species, Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae in 1994 while counting penguins on Gabo Island. See: The Great Penguin Count on Gabo Island
Since birding in New York, we found Great Cormorants to be regular winter time visitors to our area and ID'd our first one in Verplanck on February 2, 2013.
We also saw one while visiting Iceland ( photo), another during our trip to Tanzania.
A few more seen during my November 2022 South Africa Birding & Wildlife Safari were of the White-breasted subspecies: Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus.
More of my Bird List
Lynn Salmon <>{