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CalendarTrip report from outside the harbour on a Kiama pelagic on the MV Kato on Saturday 24th September 2022. The trip list uses the IOC Checklist v12.1 (Jan. 2022) for taxonomy, nomenclature & order of species. It gives fairly conservative numbers, which are estimates for the commoner species.
Sea conditions were uncomfortable, with a 2 to 2.5 m swell decreasing toward the end of the day. The sea temperature at the shelf edge was 18 degrees.
Leaving the harbour at 07:30am, we headed out in an east south easterly direction towards the edge of the continental shelf. On the way there were a number of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and a smaller number of Flesh-footed Shearwaters. There was a humpback whale breeching in the distance and a small pod of Common Dolphins made a brief appearance behind the boat.
The conditions were quite rough, and we stopped at 80 fathoms for a respite and began to chum using the usual mixture of chicken mince, beef fat and tuna oil. Providence and Grey-faced Petrels came in and foraged up the slick, and a hungry young Shy Albatross joined us soon after. A White-faced Storm-petrel appeared in the slick and was later joined by a Wilson's Storm-petrel. A White-fronted Tern caused some initial excitement, before disappearing up the slick. Whilst drifting two humpback whales surfaced behind the boat, and a pod of common dolphins porpoised in towards them, jumping and playing, including a very young calf.
Around 10:30 am we continued out to 135 fathoms and again chummed whilst drifted out to 147 fathoms. Overall, a large number of Solanders Petrels were seen, but diversity and number of other species was relatively low, and we only managed to lure in two species of albatross. Some of the birds followed from the first location including the one Wilson's Storm-petrel and one White-faced Storm-petrel.
On the return leg a number of Hutton's Shearwaters (and two unidentified fluttering-types which were likely Fluttering) were seen. A Buller's Albatross and an unlikely Diving Petrel made a very brief appearance and were only seen by some on board. The Diving Petrel was seen approximately 6 km offshore, flying ahead of the boat in their typical, low-down, fast-flapping, sea-quail way, and likely dived ahead of us as those on board scrambled to re-find it as it went in front of the bow.
We arrived back at 3pm.
Bird species seen outside the harbour, maximum at any one time in brackets:
125 Silver Gull: 5+ (2)
115 Greater Crested Tern: 8+ (2)
114 White-fronted Tern: 1 (1)
063 Wilson's Storm-petrel: 1 (1)
065 White-faced Storm-petrel: 1 (1)
088 Black-browed Albatross: 2 (1)
91 &861 Shy Albatross: 4 (2)
931 Buller's Albatross: 1 (1)
075 Grey-faced Petrel: 10 (3)
971 Solander's Petrel: 50+ (9)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 150(20)
913 Hutton's Shearwater: 15 (2)
Hutton's/ Fluttering Shearwater: 2(2)
104 Australasian Gannet: 40 (9) adults and immatures
085 Common Diving Petrel: 1 (1) On the return trip only 6 km offshore.
Marine mammals:
Humpback Whale: 8+
Short-beaked Common Dolphin: 40+
By Simon Gorta