• Richard Hall

    Welcome to the new-look SOSSA website 

    Published on 03-07-2011 08:59 PM

    Welcome to SOSSA's new website and we have now added a forum with photo hosting capabilities. You can find the forum here. To post on the forums, please register. It's free and you don't need to be a SOSSA member. Anyone who has an interest in pelagic birding can join the online SOSSA pelagic community. We would like to thank Mike Double for all his efforts in running the old website and also Richard Hall for all the work he has done in setting up the new one.

    Forums are defined by their users and we hope that the forum here is useful for anyone interested in seabirds and their conservation. We aren't all about birds though, anyone with an interest in the ocean and it's wildlife is welcome here.

    Especially in the initial stage, the individual forums may change, this is a learning curve for us as well. We have further plans to expand the site, but we'd like to get more confident in the day-to-day running of it first. We have made the first step though and we'd like you to join us and enjoy yourself


    SOSSA is a wildlife conservation and research organisation. Its members are dedicated amateurs and professionals who share a common interest and concern for the marine environment and the wildlife of the Southern Oceans.

    SOSSA organises regular pelagic trips from Wollongong, NSW and Southport, QLD so both members and visitors can view some of the spectacular marine life that occurs off Australia's coast.

    Join SOSSA and support seabird conservation.

    Pelagic trips are also run from Port Stephens, NSW on a regular basis. This trip is not affiliated with SOSSA, although the organiser is a SOSSA member.


    26th February 2011, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA 

    Published on 27-02-2011 01:41 AM

    Report prepared by: Graham Barwell.

    We went out to 34° 22' 02" S; 151° 23' 45" E, 45 km E of the harbour in
    pelagic waters, where we stopped for a bit over half an hour,
    11.30-12.00, before turning back in. The water temp. was 23.8° about
    13 km E of the harbour and a degree higher at 24.8° in pelagic
    waters. Where I haven't given an estimate of the numbers seen, it
    means the birds were relatively numerous.
    ...
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    19th February 2011, SOUTHPORT PELAGIC TRIP, SOUTHPORT, QLD, AUSTRALIA 

    Published on 20-02-2011 01:48 AM

    Vessel: 37ft monohull, MV Grinner

    Crew: Craig Newton (skipper) Gail Le Mesurier

    Weather conditions:     A high south of New Zealand extended as a ridge over SEQ waters producing very light SE winds, mostly < 10 knots. Heavy cloud, with rain close to coast easing to light cloud then mostly fine conditions later. Hot & sultry conditions with maximum air temp. 30°, barometric pressure 1008 hPa.
    ...
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    18th December 2010 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 18-12-2010 06:57 PM

    Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

    Departed: 07:20 returned at 15:30.
    Sea conditions: choppy to 1.5 m WNW.
    Swell: negligible.
    Weather: cloudy, clearing in mid afternoon following the rain squalls associated with the passage of the front.
    Temperature range: 18.8 to 25.4°C.
    Barometric pressure: 1001HPa rising slowly.
    Wind: WNW 10 kts, increasing to 17 kts by mid morning and gusting to 35 kts in the afternoon ahead of the south-westerly change.
    Sea surface temperature: 19.3 to 20.6°C.
    Primary chumming location: 34° 31'S : 151° 18'E.
    ...
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    30th October 2010, SOUTHPORT PELAGIC TRIP, SOUTHPORT, QLD, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 30-10-2010 11:11 PM

    Date: 30/10/10.
    Vessel: 37 ft Steber monohull.

    Crew: Craig Newton (skipper)

    Weather conditions: A high in the southern Tasman with a weakening ridge over the east coast of Queensland brought light SE-NE winds to SEQ waters. Generally fine, clear conditions with increasing cloud cover with overall good visibility. Winds SE-NE to 10 knots, maximum air temp.
    24* C, barometric pressure 1016 hPa.

    Sea conditions: Light seas on 1-1.5 metre swell. Sea surface temps.
    22.2* C at the Seaway, 23.4* C at the Shelf-break to 24* C at widest drift point.
    ...
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    18th September 2010, SOUTHPORT PELAGIC TRIP, SOUTHPORT, QLD, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 18-09-2010 11:09 PM

    Vessel: 37 ft Steber monohull M.V. Grinner.
    Crew: Craig Newton (skipper).

    Weather conditions:

    A ridge extending over SE Queensland initially brought moderate S-SE winds to the coast with increasing ocean swells. By Saturday morning wind had eased off considerably and during the day swung around to the west then NW by midday, barely reaching 10 knots. Light cloud for most of the day increasing on approaching the coast, visibility very good. Maximum air temp, 24* C, barometric pressure 1020 hPa.
    ...
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    11th September 2010 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 11-09-2010 06:51 PM

    This trip was organised by Phil Stewart of the Nth Ryde Technical and Further Education College to observe seabird banding activities at sea.

    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.

    Departed: 07:25 returned at 15:45.

    Sea conditions: 2.0 - 3m easing later in the day
    Swell: South Easterly 1.0m inshore increasing to 3 m beyond the continental shelf decreasing during the day 1.5mts inshore in the afternoon.
    Weather: Cloudless skies during the morning. Light cloud later in the day.
    Temperature range: 11 to 19°C.
    Barometric pressure: 1024 HPa. Rising
    Wind: South -SW 10 to 15 knots in the morning, easing later in the day. South East 5 to 8 knots in the afternoon.
    Sea surface temperature: 18°-19.2 C
    Primary chumming location: 34° 34 30 s 151 15 05
    ...
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    29th August 2010 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 29-08-2010 06:50 PM

    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.

    Departed: 07:15 returned at 15:25.
    Sea conditions: 2.0 - 3m easing later in the day
    Swell: South to 3.0m inshore increasing to 4 m beyond the continental shelf decreasing during the day 1.5mts inshore in the afternoon.
    Weather: Scattered cloud during the morning. Clearing, later in the day.

    Temperature range: 8 to 19°C.

    Barometric pressure: 1016 HPa. Rising

    Wind: South -SW 10 to 15 knots in the morning, easing later in the day. South East 3 to 5 knots in the afternoon.
    Sea surface temperature: 18°-19.2 C

    Primary chumming location: 34° 34 30 s 151 15 05
    ...
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    28th August 2010 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 28-08-2010 06:46 PM

    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.

    Departed: 07:15 returned at 15:25.
    Sea conditions: 3.0 - 5m easing later in the day
    Swell: South to 3.0m inshore increasing to 4 m beyond the continental shelf decreasing during the day.

    Weather: Scattered cloud during the morning. Clearing, later in the day.
    Temperature range: 8 to 19°C.

    Barometric pressure: 1008 HPa. Rising
    Wind: South -SW 18 to 25 knots in the morning, easing later in the day. South East 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon.
    Sea surface temperature: 18°-19.2 C

    Primary chumming location: Nil.
    ...
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    24th JULY 2010 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 24-07-2010 06:44 PM

    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.

    Departed: 07:10 returned at 15:35.
    Sea conditions:1.5 - 2m easing later in the day
    Swell: South-SE to 1.5 to 2.5 m decreasing to 1.0 to 1.5 m during the day.
    Weather: bright sunshine with scattered cloud during the late morning. Clearing later in the day
    Temperature range: 7 to 17°C.
    Barometric pressure: 1028 HPa.
    Wind: South -SE 10 to 20 knots in the morning easing later in the day to the South east 8 to 10 knots in the afternoon.
    Sea surface temperature: 18°C.
    Primary chumming location: S 34° 27' - E 151° 15'.
    ...
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    17th July 2010, SOUTHPORT PELAGIC TRIP, SOUTHPORT, QLD, AUSTRALIA. 

    Published on 17-07-2010 11:08 PM

    Vessel: 37 ft monohull, M.V. Grinner
    Crew: Craig Newton (skipper)
    Pax: Paul Walbridge (organizer & leader), Burnice Starkey, Brian Russell, Rob Morris, Chris Wiley, Chris Sanderson, Andrew Stafford, Dan Coleman, Decie Coleman, Gary Cranitch, John Norling, Glen Pacey, Kevin Delahoy, Joe Gilmour, Sam Gilmour.

    Weather conditions:

    As a high moved east across southern Australiaa strengthening ridge of high pressure brought mainly clear conditions, and moderate S-SE winds to southern Queenslandwaters. A fine clear day, with just some light cloud appearing mid afternoon, visibility excellent. Wind, light from the SW in early morning, strengthening and from S-SE to 15+ knots as the morning progressed, with a lightening off in late afternoon. Air temp.
    19* C maximum, barometric pressure 1024 hPa.
    ...
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