• Sunday 28th July 2013 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Sunday July 28th 2013 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.

    Departed: 0700 hrs
    Return 16 hrs

    Sea conditions: Up to 1mtr swell from the east tending southerly in the afternoon

    Weather: Fine with scattered cloud

    Temperature range: 8.0 - 15 0 °C.

    Barometric pressure: 1010Hp rising later in the day

    Wind: West-NW 10-15knots increasing in the afternoon

    Sea surface temperature: 17.7 in harbour 21.8° over the continental shelf break

    Current: from the North at 1.5 knots

    Primary chumming location: 240 Fathoms

    Summary:

    Conditions at sea were quite comfortable. Bird numbers were up on yesterday, though still unusually low for this time of the year.

    With light winds from the north-west and unusually warm water temperature 20+ degrees. Conditions were not looking good for the expected cold water species. Prions in particular were very scarce and well scattered. Giant Cuttlefish were just beginning to appear in-shore. Though numbers of smaller albatrosses Black-browed, Campbell, Yellow-nosed and Shy feeding on them had increased in the past weeks. The numbers of Wandering albatross types and Giant Petrels were still unusually low and mainly frequenting the in-shore areas where the Cuttlefish were beginning to appear.

    There was very little activity bird wise beyond the shelf break with very few procellaria petrels being observed. The presence of Salps (Jelly-fish like creatures) was an indication of the unusually warm water at this time of the year.

    Thank you to all who supported the trip and helped out.

    Cheers Lindsay

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

    075 Great-winged Petrel, Pterodroma macroptera 1
    971 Solander’s Petrel pterodroma solanderi 3
    083 Fairy Prion, Pachyptila turtur 20+ (5)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater, Puffinus gavia 100+ (26)
    086 Wandering Albatross, Diomedea exulans 6 (4)
    846 Antipodean Albatross, Diomedea antipodensis 1
    847 Gibson’s Albatross, Diomedea gibsoni 1
    088 Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys 25+
    859 Campbell Albatross, Thalassarche impavida 3+ (3)
    091 Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta 10 (4))
    861 White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche steadi 1
    864 Indian yellow-nosed Albatross, Thalassarche bassi 3
    065 White-faced Storm-Petrel, Pelagodroma marina 2 (1)
    104 Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator 8+ (4)
    106 Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus 4
    980 Brown Skua, Catharacta longbergi 1
    981 Kelp Gull, Larus dominicanus 2 (2)
    125 Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae 100+
    144 White-Fronted Tern , Sterna striata 1
    115 Crested Tern, Sterna bergii 20 (14)

    Mammals:
    Hump-backed whale
    Fur-Seals

    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
    Email: sossa@tpg.com.au for further information in regards to other trips.