Sections
CalendarBoat: M.V. Contagious, skippered by Dale Wellham.
CONDITIONS
We went a long way north this morning, taking a course that was north of east for the first time ever on a Port Stephens pelagic. We motored just to the south of All Mark because of the northerly winds, which bashed us around a bit on the way out. Started at -32.68806, 152.76036, we drifted for about 3 hours to -32.84944, 152.70059 before relocating closer to the shelf for a very brief drift before heading home. North east winds at a steady 15 knots for most of the morning, with a drop at around midday, remaining <10 knots for the remainder of the day. Water temp at shelf taken as 25.7 degrees.
Gibson's Albatross. Photo: Steven Cox
ACTIVITY
Departed Soldiers Point boat ramp today due to the Port Stephens Interclub Game Fishing Tournament being held over the weekend. We left early (6:38am) and returned to Soldiers Point in good time, by 3:48pm. A stiff ENE breeze pushing to 15 knots made for a bumpy and pretty wet ride as we took our near-easterly course to the shelf. Literally seconds after the engine was cut we noticed a suspicious shape in the water and the call of "shark!" went out. The GoPro went into the drink and we were able to confirm it as a Bronze Whaler; about 2.5m in length. Schools of Mahi Mahi also gathered under the boat later on in the drift.
Relatively few birds were seen on the outward journey and it was a fairly quiet drift until the first of the Wandering (Gibson's) Albatrosses arrived. This old male bird looked a lot like the individual that had been seen of Kiama the day before, though photos proved it to be a different bird. If a Wandering-type Albatross was unexpected off Port Stephens in February, then imagine our surprise when a second bird came hurtling towards the boat! This second bird was also an old individual, pegged as another old male Gibson's. This guy circled the boat for nearly ten minutes and we wondered what he was going to do. Finally, when he came into land he made a direct hit by landing fair-square on top of the original Wanderer! The second bird then dominated the numerous squabbles these two giants were to have. We then noticed a metal band on one of the second bird's legs (see below for details).
Band on Gibson's Albatross. Photo: Steven Cox
Aside from the two wanderers, we had small numbers of Grey-faced Petrels come into the boat, but otherwise it was almost entirely Wedge-tailed Shearwaters in deep water (literally just three Fleshies during our deepwater drifts). A Black Petrel did break that monotony and gave great views to all on board. A dark Kermadec Petrel was unfortunately only seen by three observers and never came into the boat. No storm-petrels of any description seen all day. A distant juvenile White-tailed Tropicbird was picked up early on during the return leg.
BIRDS
14 species were recorded outside of Port Stephens. 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 V4.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 700 (300). The larger numbers were inshore flocks.
Flesh-footed Shearwater: 30 (20). Only three individuals seen during the drifts in deepwater, but good numbers behind the boat for the latter part of the inward journey.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 7 (1). All inshore.
Sooty Shearwater: 2 (1). Both inshore on the outward leg.
Fluttering-type Shearwater: 4 (2). No Fluttering-types able to be confirmed today.
Wandering (Gibson's) Albatross: 2 (2). Two old individuals with very white plumage, both identified as old male Gibson's. These two birds squabbled often, with the second bird domineering. The second bird was banded. The only detail we could get on this (metal) band was the fact that it was an Australian band. It is assumed that this bird was banded at sea, probably by the SOSSA team off Wollongong or Kiama.
Grey-faced Petrel: 5 (2). All pelagic, though one bird followed us for about 15nm of the return leg.
Kermadec Petrel: 1. Dark bird seen only by three observers that stayed wide and never came towards the boat.
Black Petrel: 1. A bird that came into the boat late on the first drift and reappeared at the second drift and then followed us for a short distance on the return journey.
Australasian Gannet: 3 (1). All young birds.
White-tailed Tropicbird: 1. Very distant bird high over the water confirmed as a juvenile by photos.
Pomarine Jaeger: 2 (1). Both inshore.
Crested Tern: 2 (1). Only one bird inshore but a bird took us all by surprise at the shelf.
Silver Gull: 3 (1). Inshore on way back in.
MAMMALS
Offshore Bottlenose Dolphin: 50+. A few pods seen in pelagic waters.
FISH
Bronze Whaler Shark: One seen out the side of the boat not long after starting our drift. About 2.5m long.
Mahi Mahi (Dolphinfish): School of maybe 100 strong sitting under the boat for much of the first drift.
Flying-fish: 2