what people say about The petrel station tours

SEABIRD Tour reviews

Here’s some of the excellent reviews we’ve received recently from people from around the world who’ve been out on a seabird tour with us to The Petrel Station ... and if you've come out with us recently and would like to send us a review of your day with us then there’s a ‘Leave a Review’ form below - we’d love to hear from you :)

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“This is one truly special pelagic experience, not simply for New Zealand but globally, and I thank the Petrel Station team for an amazing trip. The tens of thousands of birds were spectacular, and the prolonged chumming stop was fantastic, with repeated opportunities to study and photograph New Zealand and White-faced Storm Petrels, Cook’s and Pycroft’s Petrels, Parkinson’s Petrels, and many others – 20 species of tubenose in a day is never a bad thing!”
Steve N. G. Howell - (US, Dec 24).
Author of Oceanic Birds of the World (Princeton University Press, 2019).

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“Having been out on many tours with Scott to The Petrel Station I can say it never gets old. Every tour there is something new and exciting and hearing other people on board using superlatives like ‘Wow!’, ‘Overwhelming’ and ‘Extraordinary’ pretty much says it all.”
Gary Setterfield - (NZ, been on over 60 tours now!)

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“Amazing day with The Petrel Station squad off Tutukaka. Maybe the best single-day pelagic in the world. 80K birds seen, incl Pycroft’s, Cook’s, Mottled & Black-winged Petrel, New Zealand Storm-Petrels, the site where all the world’s Buller’s Shearwaters nest + 1,000s of Fairy Prions & soooo much more.”
George Armistead - (US, Dec 24)

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“The Petrel Station is unlike any other seabird experience on earth. My next trip out with Scott will be my tenth out of Tutukaka, and we've been lucky enough to find and photograph rarities like Blue Petrel, Streaked Shearwater, Chatham Island Albatross, and New Zealand Storm Petrels everytime! Every trip is different and I definitely plan to keep coming back for more.”
Oscar Thomas - (NZ, been on multiple tours)

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“Thanks so much for a great day on the water. It was not only my favourite pelagic I’ve been on, but one of my top nature experiences overall. I’ll always remember the swirling clouds of prions that surrounded us!”
Ryan O’Donnell - (US, Dec 23)

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“The highlight of my recent visit to New Zealand was definitely joining the pelagic trips by The Petrel Station (in Tutukaka, New Zealand). I was totally overwhelmed by the number of seabirds that we saw in 2 days. There were just so many seabirds all around (over 50,000 individuals at once!).”
Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok - (Thailand, Nov 24)

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“Thanks so much to you and the team for a wonderful day out today. You guys do a great job! That was definitely my best pelagic day ever.”
Miles Tindal - (Canada, Dec 24)

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“On a recent trip to NZ I booked onto 2 pelagic seabird tours with The Petrel Station and I was not disappointed - I have been on many of the worlds pelagic trips and I would rate THE PETREL STATION in the top 3 - if you are looking for an opportunity to photograph/view large numbers of seabirds in a comfortable and safe setting then here you have it and all at a very reasonable cost”
Mike D - (UK, Nov 23)

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“Two days at The Petrel Station were a dream come true!!! When you are going there, you know it will be good, but it was much more than that. Giant Petrel. Wandering Albatross. What more can you want? But you get much more! In the end 28 species of seabirds, including 6 albatross species, both Giant Petrel species, Prions, Shearwaters, NZ Storm Petrels, Mako Sharks… It seems like a dream now being 18,000km away! Everything was well organized by Scott, he really knows his business, where the birds are and when. Gary is sitting somewhere on the boat, and you are not aware of him until he shouts out new species approaching the boat. Luke, the captain, knows winds and sea more than I ever seen someone. Thank you for everything! If you like seabirds, this MUST be on your bucket list!”
Luka Jurinovic - (Croatia, Oct 24)

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“Knowing I was coming to New Zealand I googled pelagic providers. The Petrel Station came up and a quick review of past tours looked perfect. I had a week in which I’d be in the vicinity but at that time there was no trip scheduled so contacted Scott, who was incredibly helpful and indicated a tour was likely and he’d be in touch. True to his word he did get in touch and I was booked in. The day arrived and we had a spectacular day in terms of numbers of birds, but what was really impressive was the way Scott and the team engaged with us all. Happy to share knowledge, anecdotes and be able to pick out a Black Petrel at a 100 paces were just some of the highlights – 21 seabird lifers, circa 200,000 birds, a 100 laughs, and a lifetime of memories. Highly recommend.”
Phil Novis - (UK, Sep 24)

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“Take your birding or bird photography to the next level. I’ve been a regular for the past 5 years and try and do a couple of trips a month....yes it’s that good! Plenty of seabirds, both species and numbers, as well as other sealife. The boat is ideal for birding with a complete walk-around design and low enough freeboard to get great angles on your photos. Scott is an amazing host and bird guide with a wealth of pelagic birding knowledge. Luke, an experienced skipper can be relied upon to keep all feeling safe. I always return home buzzing with a good dose of soul food.”
Steve Collins - (NZ, been on over 45 tours now!)

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“In my opinion, The Petrel Station pelagics are the best in New Zealand. I’ve been on about 20 trips and it never disappoints. The birding is truly spectacular. The best spot to see New Zealand Storm Petrel and a great place too to pick up the odd rarity! On the tours I've also had Chatham Albatross, Light Mantled Sooty Albatross (my favourite seabird in the world) alongside the odd American vagrant like Pink-Footed shearwater plus all the seabird endemics and natives. Most of these birds come up really close to the boat so you can get great photos. Alongside rarities, there are also huge numbers of Fairy Prions and Buller's shearwaters which are a spectacle to watch! Scott the tour leader is knowledgeable, friendly and very approachable if you have questions, and he's always checking in on everyone. The skipper Luke is also super friendly, hard working, and great at chumming for the birds and keeping them interested. In my view, The Petrel Station is an absolute must for any birder or naturalist visiting New Zealand.”
Harry Boorman - (UK, been on multiple tours).
Author of ‘New Zealand's Biggest Year’

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“As a seabird ecologist on his third trip to New Zealand I came across The Petrel Station Facebook page and knew that this was a trip I absolutely had to get onto. It was my first dedicated pelagic trip, and it truly blew me away! The diversity was incredible – we encountered large flocks of Buller’s Shearwaters near their breeding islands, and out deep plenty of species came in including New Zealand Storm Petrels, Black Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater which remained with us for hours, with visits from some Albatross, Cook’s and Pycroft’s Petrels, and more, which kept all those on board excited. Scott and the team were super helpful when it came to identification challenges such as separating Cook’s from Pycroft’s, so there was a real sense of inclusivity on board the boat. On the way back in we also visited the Grey Ternlets and Australasian Gannets colony. Scott’s friendliness, enthusiasm and knowledge of seabirds and the local area made the trip for me. If you’re interested in seabirds generally and want to experience some of the spectacular seabird diversity then this trip is an absolute must do! It’s now the number one trip to do for me the next time I return to New Zealand, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
Craig Nisbet - (UK, Feb 23)

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“A tour out to The Petrel Station has always been on my husband’s bucket list so I booked in for both of us on a tour. Even though I'm not that into birdwatching (I was hoping to earn some hubby brownie points :), I went in with an open mind, expecting to be disinterested, but to my joy I was completely blown away by the phenomenal journey. The crew, including Captain Luke, our lovely host Scott and spotter Gary, were an incredibly fun and knowledgeable bunch to be with on the boat all day. The trip itself was mesmerising. We encountered an astounding 200,000 birds and spotted 22 different species. It was incredible to witness such an abundant display of nature. I loved every second of this magnificent adventure. Thank you so much to the entire team! I will definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking to add something extraordinary to their bucket list!!”
Bianca Boyd - (South Africa, Sep 24)

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“If you are a birder looking for a full day pelagic trip, I could highly recommend The Petrel Station. I can honestly say it was the best pelagic I have ever been on, both in terms of number of birds and diversity of species. To see huge albatross flying and sitting on the water from only a few meters away is truly breathtaking! We had 45 New Zealand Storm Petrel, several species of Petrel, Shearwater, and Fairy Prions which were clustered around the back of the boat at length – with so many birds so close there was ample opportunity for photos. On the way back to port we had great views of Australasian Gannet nesting colonies and Gray Noddy roosting among the cliffs. The skipper was very experienced, and tour leader Scott was very knowledgeable about the local seabirds, and he also took care of the E-bird checklists for the entire trip and then shared them with everyone on board (I really appreciated this gesture). Overall, it was an awesome trip and exceeded all my expectations.”
Daniel Bastaja - (Hungary, Apr 24)