I'm not sure what to call them... I'm talking about the puzzles in the environment that you need to look at from a certain angle, then when you touch them they sparkle and fly to one of those black obelisk/totem poles.
How many are there? Where are they?
Good answers here already, but for completion's sake, here's one that actually answers both your questions :)
The number of obelisks and their location can actually be inferred from an area on the island. Here are some hints from general to specific:
Hint 1:
An area on the island functions as a map of the island (and it's not the map on the boat)
Hint 2:
It's a body of water
Hint 3:
The lake is a map of the island
Hint 4:
The small water fountains in the lake each represent an obelisk; when an obelisk is completely solved, its fountain will spray high up in the air
And the number of obelisks:
6
The number of environmental puzzles can then obviously be found by counting all the etchings on the obelisks (and yes, the direction that the side with the etching faces indicates where that puzzle can be found).
The number of environmental puzzles you have found is indicated on your save file with a + sign in front of it (and after that, another + and the number of obelisks you have completed, if any). The total number of environmental puzzles is:
135
the face of the obelisk also gives a clue of the direction the environmental panel is in (all the environmental panels in the column of a single face tend to be in very close proximity), the orientation in which it is viewed to activate, AND the general nature of the panel. For example the shady trees obelisk has a column facing the keep with 2 patterns on it. BOTH are located at the front of the keep, and BOTH are formed by the flowers. Ones viewed by looking up are grouped, ones viewed from looking down, ones found by boat in an area, are grouped in this nature and so forth
