• 25th November 2007, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

    Departed: 07:25 returned at 16:00 .
    Sea conditions: calm.
    Swell: E less than 0.5 m.
    Weather: patchy cloud with sunny periods.
    Temperature range: 19.5 to 26.1°C.
    Barometric pressure: 1015 HPa rising.
    Wind: calm at first and then E 3 to 5 knots later.
    Sea surface temperature: 21.4 to 22.6°C.
    Primary chumming locations: 34° 29’S : 151° 23’E.

    Summary:

    A high-pressure system was located east of New Zealand , a trough lay over the Tasman Sea and a high-pressure system over Tasmania was developing a ridge over our area. We enjoyed dry and calm conditions all day. What a difference a day makes!

    A good variety of seabirds were foraging inshore and Short-tailed Shearwaters were the dominant species once again. Two Inshore Bottle-nosed Dolphins crossed our wake heading south and several Little Penguins were foraging over the reefs.

    The cruise out to the edge of the continental shelf was quiet other than the flocks of migrating Short-tailed Shearwaters. Several Grey-faced Petrels and a female Gibson’s Albatross greeted us as we reached the deeper water. Continuing east we began to see fish in the calm conditions, Short Sunfish at first and then a Striped Marlin cruising at the surface, schools of Frigate Mackerel and, finally, a shoal of Mahi Mahi.

    We stopped to drift and berley at the 600-fathom line in beautiful azure water. Today the fish oil attracted very little but we did have the opportunity to watch some Risso’s Dolphins cruise past albeit at a distance. It was a little difficult to accept that with so much life in the water there could be so little bird activity.

    The trip back to port was also uneventful although very pleasant in the glorious late spring conditions.

    Highlights:

    This was a most pleasant day on the ocean with many sightings of fish and dolphins to compensate for the inactivity in the seabird department.

    Birds recorded according to the latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:
    Species code: Species name: Numbers:
    (Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

    005 Little Penguin Eudyptula minor 3 (1)
    075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macropteragouldi 56 (35)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 39 (15)
    913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 1
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 49 (20)
    070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 3000+ (250+)
    072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 2 (1)
    086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 1
    847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 4 (2)
    088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 3 (3)
    861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 1
    063 Wilson ’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 2 (1)
    104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 1
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (5)
    128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 2 (1)
    945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 17 (10)
    981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 5 (5)
    125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 4 (1)
    115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 8 (2)

    In the harbour:

    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (6)
    115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 2 (2)

    12 species of procellariiformes in a total of 20 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

    Other birds:

    None

    Mammals:

    Inshore Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus 2 (2)
    Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 15+ (15+)
    Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 15 (15)
    Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus 6 (6)

    Reptiles:

    None

    Fish:

    Mahi Mahi Coryphaena hippurus 18 (18)
    Frigate Mackerel Auxis thazard 35+ (35+)
    Striped Marlin Tetrapturus audax 1
    Short Sunfish Mola ramsayi 4 (2)
  • Slideshow