• Tuesday 6th October 2015 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, KIAMA, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Date October 6th 2015 Recorded by Lindsay Smith
    Location Kiama Locode 8022K2
    Air temp 18-30+ Water temp 18 o In Shore Off Shore 21.3 o in 500 fathoms
    Air pressure High Cloud cover 1/10
    Wind speed and direction NE 5-7knots morning and 15-25knts in the late arfternoon Sea conditions Less than 1



    Comments

    We left the harbour at 0 7 30 Hrs and headed due east to 250 fathoms in very good conditions for boating. Low swell and calm seas with very little wind allowed our first sighting of two Hump-backed Whales. A little further out a juvenile Fur-seal was seen loafing on the surface. There were very few albatrosses about all day.

    With several immature Black-browed Albatrosses. 3 or 4 White-capped Albatrosses mostly immatures and a single sub –adult Shy Albatross being observed.

    We stopped in 250 fathoms to chum. This was when the first of several Solanders’s Petrels were observed.

    After an hour of chumming at this location with few birds coming in we headed further off shore to 500 fathoms in search of more birds. At 11.15hrs we stopped at Lat 34 50 7851s. Long. 150 13 9170e and drifted for a further 2hrs. Birds in general appeared not to be hungry and, due to the very light winds, mostly stayed on the water showing little interest in coming to the boat. In all a comfortable day on the water with few birds about. We arrived back in the harbour at 16.15Hrs.

    Birds

    Species No Species Number
    075 Grey-faced Petrel, Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 5 (3)
    971 Providence Petrel, Pterodroma solandri 7 (4)
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus 20 (12)
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus tenuirostris 40+ ( (10)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater 4 (2)
    Wandering Albatross, Diomedea spp
    847 Gibson’s Albatross, Diomedea gibsoni 1 (1)
    088 Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys 6 (3)
    Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta spp 3
    091 Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta 1
    861 White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche steadi 2
    063 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Oceanites oceanicus 8 (3)
    065 White-faced Storm-Petrel, Pelagodroma marina 1
    104 Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator 5 (3)
    096 Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo 1
    106 Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus 3
    125 Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae 2
    115 Crested Tern, Sterna bergii 2


    Mammals
    Hump-backed Whale 4 (2)
    Common Dolphin 8-10
    Bottle-nosed Dolphin 8-10
    Fur Seal 1