23 Nov 2024
THE PETREL STATION TRIP REPORT
Had a great day out on the latest pelagic seabird tour to The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
The highlight of the day was the big numbers of Cook's Petrel which put on a spectacular show when they were swirling around us, and hovering right off the back of the boat :)
During the tour we recorded 22 different seabird species, and enjoyed watching just short over 58,000 stunning seabirds in total! Conditions on the day were overcast, with 10-12 knot winds and a 1m swell. See below for the full list of seabirds recorded on the tour.
If you’re interested in coming out on a pelagic seabird tour to The Petrel Station (offshore from Tutukaka, New Zealand) then check out the upcoming tour dates and get in touch – it’s always a great day out.
Here’s the full trip results from the day:
Seabirds seen:
1 x Northern Royal Albatross
1 x Salvin's Albatross
12 x White-capped Albatross
42,500 x Fairy Prion
231 x Cook's Petrel
2 x Pycroft's Petrel
3 x Grey-faced Petrel
9 x Black Petrel
6,100 x Buller's Shearwater
5,500 x Fluttering Shearwater
8 x Hutton's Shearwater
22 x Little Shearwater
53 x Flesh-footed Shearwater
16 x Sooty Shearwater
10 x Short-tailed Shearwater
365 x Common Diving Petrel
65 x White-faced Storm Petrel
15 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
2,150 x Australasian Gannet
1,450 x Red-billed Gull
2 x Black-backed Gull
74 x Pied Shag
Other marine life seen:
12 x Bottlenose Dolphins
2 x NZ Fur Seal