Sections
CalendarBoat: Our inaugural pelagic on the M.V. Contagious, which will be known to many as M.V. Grinner that supported the Southport pelagics for so many years. The Grinner relocated to Port Stephens during 2019 and after a significant makeover is now sailing as ‘Contagious’, skippered by Dale Wellham.
CONDITIONS
Gentle north-easterly breezes prevailed for most of the day, with intermittent wind squalls to 15 knots associated with rain fronts. The breeze dropped off almost completely by late afternoon. Seas and swell 1-1.5m. We commenced our first drift at -32.94698, 152.56191 and with little going on we finished at -32.93742, 152.55499 then motored wider out to start a second drift at -32.93869. 152.61079. Water temperature approximately 23 degrees at the shelf.
Gould's Petrel. Photo: Allan Richardson
ACTIVITY
Departed Soldiers Point wharf at 6:36am returning at 4:14pm. Activity was very slow, with low numbers of Wedge-tailed and Flesh-footed Shearwaters interspersed by the odd Short-tailed/Sooty-type. In deep water we virtually only had the two common brown shearwaters and a Shy-type Albatross that came in for a look three or four times. On our second drift we saw our only petrel for the day; a beautiful Gould’s with a near-complete dark collar and an interesting dark mark above the bill. There were dozens of game-fishing boats competing in the inter-club tournament and these boats were catching Striped Marlin hand over fist. We saw two free-swimming marlin, identified tentatively as Blues. A large rorqual whale (Bryde’s/Sei?) was seen not far from the heads on the way back in where there were also large pods of Short-beaked Common Dolphins and easily the most activity for the day.
Common Dolphin. Photo: Allan Richardson
BIRDS
10 species were recorded outside the heads and given the low numbers of just about every bird it was a reasonably disappointing day. Counts are totals for birds seen outside the heads (with the maximum number visible from the boat at one time in brackets) – many are estimates. Taxonomy follows the BirdLife Australia Working List V3.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 120 (30). Just marauding birds all day, with some small rafts also seen sitting on the water. Inshore flocks largely absent.
Flesh-footed Shearwater: 50 (11). Inshore and pelagic waters. Dominant bird following the boat, though that was only one individual for the return leg.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 3 (1). All fly-bys.
Sooty Shearwater: 9 (1). All fly-bys and seen inshore and in deeper water.
Fluttering-type Shearwater: 1. An unidentified bird seen off the bow early on was the only Fluttering-type for the day.
Gould’s Petrel: 1. Seen not long into our second drift. An individual on the darker end of the spectrum with a near-complete collar and dark feathering above the bill, the latter possibly as a result of wear?
Shy-type (likely White-capped) Albatross: 1. This bird seemed to be doing a circuit, investigating our boat and the game-fishing boats at the shelf. Never came into the boat though.
Pomarine Jaeger: 8 (2). All inshore.
Crested Tern: 2 (1). Conspicuously few.
Silver Gull: 1. Like the Crested Terns, completely absent until a lone bird joined the activity where the rorqual was.
MAMMALS
Short-beaked Common Dolphin: A rather acrobatic pod feeding on baitfish close to the heads.
Offshore Bottlenose Dolphin: – a couple of small pods seen near the shelf (<10 individuals)
Balaenoptera Whale: A very large rorqual whale was found slowly moving amongst the baitfish/feeding activity not far from shore where the Common Dolphins were. Photographs were obtained and consensus was that it was either a Bryde’s or Sei Whale (probably the former).
FISH
Marlin sp. (Blue?): 2
Flying Fish: <5