• Saturday 23rd July 2022 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, KIAMA, NSW, AUSTRALIA

     
    Published on 23-07-2022 02:08 PM
    23rd July 2022, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, KIAMA, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
    Vessel: M.V Kato
    Departed: 07:40 returned at 15:00.
    Seas: around E 1 - 2m, with occasional sets over 3m. Overall, it was a relatively comfortable trip.
    Weather: Mostly cloudy, with some clear patches. Raining inshore on the way back in.
    Temperature range: 12 to 17 degrees.
    Wind: 5 to 10 knot easterly all day.
    Sea surface temperature: 16 degrees in shore, 18.7 degrees at the shelf.

    Report
    A no-show delayed our departure and we set off into rolling seas 10 minutes late. The forecast was for large seas, however it ended up being a comfortable trip. A small pod of Common Dolphins was encountered about 1km offshore, but besides small groups of Fluttering Shearwaters and the occasional Gannet, birds were few and far between. There were a distant sightings of a couple of albatrosses, we identified Shy and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, but could not be sure about the Black-browed type that was seen.


    Antipodean (Gibson's) Albatross.

    On arrival at the shelf, we were met by our first petrel of the day, a Solanders Petrel. We also observed a flock of Australasian Gannet s diving into a fast moving school of baitfish. Another pod of Common Dolphins were feeding on the same school. We continued on for a few more kilometres, then turned off the engines at 117 fathoms and started to create a slick. It was slow at first, then we started seeing a few Fairy Prions, shortly followed by a number of albatrosses. Indian Yellow-nosed, Black-browed and Campbell Albatrosses were quickly added to the trip list, followed shortly after by a juvenile Southern Giant Petrel. A call of "Wandering Albatross" created much excitement as it approached the boat and started to feed in the slick. A Buller s Albatross did a quick fly-by, but didn t stop, much to the disappointment of those who missed it. While continuing our drift, we were joined by another juvenile Southern Giant Petrel and another Wandering Albatross.

    After a few hours, we moved out wider to 134 fathoms, to see what else we could find. Many of the birds from the first stop, including both Giant Petrels and the Wandering Albatrosses, followed us. At the 2nd stop though we added an unseasonal Grey-faced Petrel and a few Shy Albatrosses. At about 12.30pm, with one of the Kato's engines unable to be restarted, we started for the harbour, knowing that it would take much longer to get home on one engine.

    The trip back in didn't add any new birds, but a Buller's Albatross joined us, allowing those who missed the first sighting, much closer views. We arrived back at the harbour at 3pm.

    Birds sighted (number in brackets was the greatest number seen together)

    Australian Gannets: 60+ (40) single birds sighted on the way out, but on arrival at the shelf there was a small flock diving into a school of baitfish. Several birds rafting were observed on the way back in.
    Silver Gull: 20 (5) seen inshore on the way out and way back.
    Fluttering Shearwater: 50+ (10) several small groups seen on the way out and a few on the way in.
    Crested Tern: 8 (2) seen on and off all day.
    Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross: 20+ (12) most common albatross of the day.
    Black-browed Albatross: 12+ (4) seen throughout the day, including adults and juveniles/immatures.
    Campbell Albatross: 6+ (3) seen at the shelf, adults and juveniles/immatures sighted.
    Solanders Petrel: 8 (2) only observed at the shelf.
    Buller's Albatross: 2 (1) one sighted briefly sighted at the first stopping point, the 2nd followed the boat for a while on the trip back in.
    Shy Albatross: 5+ (2) one late at the first stopping point, then a few seen at the second.
    Fairy Prion: 40+ (15) seen only at the 2 stopping points on the shelf.
    Grey-faced Petrel: 1 (1) seen at the 2nd stopping point.
    Antipodean Albatross (Gibson s): 2 (2) sighted at the first stopping point, then followed us to the 2nd. One was probably a female, being smaller, with a dark upper-wing, the other probably male, being larger with more white in its plumage. The female followed us back inshore.
    Southern Giant Petrel: 2 (2): sighted at the first stopping point, one followed to the 2nd.
    Australian Pelican: 1 (1) seen just outside the harbour on our return.

    Mammals
    Common Dolphin: 6+ a single pod seen on the way out and a larger pod 10+ with the diving Gannets.
    Oceanic Bottle-nosed Dolphin: 20+ accompanied the boat for