6 Aug 2023
THE PETREL STATION TRIP REPORT
Had a great day out on the latest pelagic seabird trip to The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand). Conditions the day were variable, with light E winds, and a 1m swell.
The highlights of the trip were:
4 x Grey-backed Storm Petrel (scarce this far north)
Thousands of Fairy Prions in feeding workups
A huge Bryde's whale coming up several times right by the boat
During the trip we saw 19 different seabird species, and enjoyed watching just over 13,000 stunning seabirds in total! See the full trip list below.
If you’re interested in coming out to The Petrel Station then check out the upcoming trip dates and get in touch – it’s always a great day out.
Here’s the full trip results from the day:
Seabirds seen:
6 x Buller's Mollymawk
3 x Black-browed Mollymawk
11 x White-capped Mollymawk
1 x Northern Giant Petrel
12,000+ x Fairy Prion
4 x Cape Petrel
10 x Cook's Petrel
18 x Grey-faced Petrel
16 x Little Shearwater
75 x Fluttering Shearwater
4 x Grey-backed Storm Petrel
150 x Common Diving Petrel
375 x Australasian Gannet
300 x Red-billed Gull
3 x Black-backed Gull
2 x Caspian Tern
29 x Pied Shag
2 x Little Pied Shag
1 x Little Black Shag
Other marine life included:
1 x Bryde's Whale
1 x Mako Shark
30 x NZ Fur Seals