• Saturday 27th April 2013 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Saturday 27th April 2013 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith & G. Barwell

    Departed: 0710 hrs
    Return 1615 hrs

    Sea conditions: Low swell from the south

    Weather: Fine with scattered cloud

    Temperature range: 15.0 - 23 0 °C.

    Barometric pressure: 1024Hp.

    Wind: West-NW tending to Northeast in the afternoon <10knots increasing later to 16 knots

    Sea surface temperature: 21.4in harbour 22.2° over the continental shelf break

    Current from the South-west at 1.5 knots

    Primary chumming location 240 Fathoms

    Summary and species list for the day by Graham Barwell.
    Conditions at sea were very comfortable

    We travelled out to 34° 24' 13" S; 151° 21' 24" E, 41.5 km from Wollongong harbour in 300m+ pelagic waters where we stopped toburley, 11:42-12:25 hrs, drifting NE then travelling up the slick and drifting some more, before heading back in, arriving at 16:15 hrs. Water temperature 21.4° inshore and 22.2° offshore. Sea conditions smooth with very low swell.

    While stopped at our burley spot offshore there were a minimum of 56 albatrosses of various species around the boat, some in close, some too far off to be identified to species. The banding team managed to capture and band several birds for the day. These included Flesh-footed shearwater Wedge-tailed shearwater and Yellow-nosed albatrosses. Unfortunately a broken net bought play to an end for the day.

    “In all another great day on the ocean”

    Thank you to all who supported the trip and helped out. We trust that you had an exciting day at sea.

    Cheers Lindsay

    Species code: Species name: Numbers:
    (Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

    971 Solander’s Petrel pterodroma solanderi 5+
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus 5
    072 Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes 15
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris 10
    088 Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys 2+
    859 Campbell Albatross, Thalassarche impavida 5-adults
    931 Buller’s Albatross, Thalassarche bulleri 1
    091 Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta 25
    864 Indian yellow-nosed Albatross, Thalassarche bassi 6+
    063 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Oceanites oceanicus 15+
    104 Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator 10+
    100 Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 2
    106 Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus 3
    945 Pomarine Jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus 2
    128 Arctic Jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus 2
    000 Kelp Gull, Larus dominicanus (7) Four adults and 3 immatures
    125 Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae 20+
    115 Crested Tern, Sterna bergii 6+

    http://www.sossa-international.org

    Future Trips:
    All Pelagic Trips from NSW are operated at no profit to the organizers, being operated as group boat charters for the benefit of all who wish to join us. If you would like to join one of these trips please contact us as detailed below:


    To make a booking on the regular SOSSA Wollongong Pelagic Trips. Which departs on the 4th Saturday of each month. Contact: SOSSA: Phone 02 4272 4626 Lindsay or Janice Email: sossa@tpg.com.au For further information in regards to other trips.