Sections
Calendar22nd April 2023, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, KIAMA, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Vessel: M.V Kato
Departed: 07:35 returned at 15:00
Seas: South-easterly around 1 - 1.5m in the morning, decreasing to 0.5m from midday as the wind dropped.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, with a few clear patches. There were a number showers during the day, but they were brief.
Temperature range: 15 to 24 degrees.
Wind: 10 - 15 knots south-easterly on our way out, dropping to 5 knots from around midday.
Sea surface temperature: 22 degrees in shore, 24.4 degrees at the shelf.
Report
We set off into a small swell and overcast skies. The trip out was fairly quiet, a number of Silver Gulls loafing on the water showed no interest in us as we passed inshore. Unusually, the first pelagic bird sighted was a Wilson's Storm-petrel, only 20 minutes into the trip and in 34 fathoms. During the remainder of the trip to the shelf we only had a few Australasian Gannets, some Crested Terns and a distant sighting of a Black-browed Albatross that showed no interest in us. As we approached the shelf, we saw a Shy-type Albatross and our first (and only) petrel species of the day, a Solander's Petrel.
With so few birds around, we continued eastwards, going out to 152 fathoms, where we started our first drift at 9.50am. The water temperature was 24.4 degrees. While bird numbers weren't high, we quickly saw a pair of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, a Buller's Albatross that came in close to the boat, several Wilson's Storm-petrels and a few more Solander's Petrels. Unexpectedly, a Wandering-type Albatross (probably a Gibsoni) joined us, shortly followed by an adult Campbell Albatross and a pair of Flesh-footed Shearwaters. After an hour we came back to 127 fathoms, followed by the majority of birds we had at the previous stop, with the only new species being a couple of Short-tailed Shearwaters.
After a few hours of drifting south on the current, we came back north into 122 fathoms. Again, the same birds followed us and we didn't attract any new species. At 1.30pm we returned to 71 fathoms, with the Wandering-type, the Buller's Flesh-footed Shearwaters and Wilson's Storm-petrels staying with us.
At 2pm we started the return trip in, with Flesh-footed Shearwater numbers picking up and the Buller's Albatross following. We also had a brief fly-by of a Shy-type Albatross that gave good views and another, more distant, Black-browed Albatross, arriving back at 3pm.
Birds sighted (number in brackets was the greatest number seen together)
Australian Gannet: 10+ (5) adults and juveniles.
Silver Gull: 30+ (17) seen inshore on the way out and back in.
Crested Tern: 4 (1) seen at various times during the trip.
Shy Albatross: 3 (1): brief views on a number of occasions.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 2 (2) constantly around from when we were approaching the shelf. Followed us back in shore.
Buller's Albatross: 3 (1) first seen at the shelf. A number of sightings during the rest of the trip, probably the same bird.
Wilson's Storm-petrel: 15+ (5) first sighted 20 minutes into the trip, in 34 fathoms. Several around at all stopping points.
Black-browed Albatross: 2 (1) 2 separate sightings, both distant fly-by s.
New Zealand Wandering Albatross: 1 (1) first sighted at the 1st stopping point and stayed with us for most of the day. Followed us back inshore.
Solander's Petrel: 20+ (5) joined us from when we crossed the shelf. While we were at the shelf, they were in constant attendance.
Campbell Albatross: 1 (1) joined us at the first stopping point.
Flesh-footed Shearwater: 25+ (15) 2 constantly around from when we were approaching the shelf. Numbers picked up on the way back in.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 2 (1) seen at the 2nd stopping point.
Mammals
Dolphin/whales: 2 unidentified dolphins/whales on the way out. They were observed within a swell, not on the surface and were very light/white in colour. Size was of either large dolphins or small whales.