This report was provided by Graeme Hatley.
After a period of stormy weather and wild winds, a beautiful day was much welcome. I have been wanting to head out to sea for another pelagic outing and the opportunity arose for that stunning Sunday.
We headed out of Hermanus Harbour through Walker Bay towards Danger Point. Despite there being no wind to speak of, the ride out was a bit bumpy. We made a few stops to identify some of the birds en route. I’m still nowhere near good enough to identify a speck of a bird barely visible against the swell based on jizz alone. But it is impressive to watch those that can!
There was also a detour for a massive pod of dolphins. We slowly passed through them with many coming close to the boat and swimming alongside us. Later in the morning we got to see breaching whales.
It was going to be a day for the Shy Albatross. We regularly encountered more than twenty of these birds with each stop, although they were likely the same birds that followed us about. I suspect that they’ve learnt that following fishing boats can be a good idea! Despite their name, they were not shy sometimes coming far too close to the boat to photograph. Quite an experience to absorb and a real treat!
The round trip was approximately five hours long. While we didn’t tally up a large variety of species, the close-up views were amazing. Other species we recorded included Sooty Shearwater, Brown (Subantarctic) Skua, White-chinned Petrel, Cape Gannet and the ever dominating Kelp Gull. There was also a single Giant Petrel that buzzed the boat. But it was gone before we could even think of getting a photograph or a good enough look for an identification.
Whatever turns up during an outing, my limited experience with pelagic outings has taught me enough to know that the trips are special!
Fabulous Graeme. Great photos too
Dead jealous- put me on the list for one of these. Nick Martin