Sydney Pelagic Trip Report
8th June 1997
I managed to join a deep sea fishing trip with Hal (one cannot go on too
many pelagic trips!) the owner of the Sydney Halicat on Sunday. This
was a trip with a group of Japanese tourists trying to hook a few
Yellow-fin Tuna, without success I might add. They will have to make do
with seaweed and rice for their next sushi dish! The highlight for them
being a 150KG+ Mako Shark and a 150KG+ Blue shark both which got away
after hours of fighting. While I was smiling with all the great
opportunities to photograph the birds, they were looking quite
miserable. The Black-bellied Storm Petrels were very confiding with all
birds showing an extensive amount of black on the belly. The Little
Shearwater provided a reasonably good but very brief view.
Participants: Just me. It felt strange shouting out all the birds with
no one around, and a few strange looks from the fisherman too.
Date: 8 June 1997. Departure 0630 h; docked 1730 h. Most birds seen at
the Sea Mount known as Brown's Mountain 21 N Miles East of Sydney heads.
Which is where we chummed for hours on end. Water temp beyond the shelf
19.5 Degrees Celsius. Its looking good for the trip this coming Saturday.
Note: Numbers in brackets equal highest count at any one time
Birds
Southern Giant-Petrel 1 juv.
Cape Petrel 1
Providence Petrel 30+ (5)
Great-winged Petrel 3 subspecies macroptera?
Short-tailed Shearwater 4 (2)
Fluttering Shearwater 10+ (5)
Little Shearwater 1 (white-faced bird)
Fairy Prion 10-15 (4)
Yellow-nosed Albatross 30+ (25)
Black-browed Albatross 4 (3 Juv & 1 adult impavada)
Shy Albatross 1
Black-bellied Storm-Petrel 3 (2)
Australasian Gannet 10-15 (10) mostly adults
Silver Gull 30+ mostly in the harbour
Crested Tern 15+ (6)
White-fronted Tern 4 (2)
Great Cormorant 2 in the harbour
Little-pied Cormorant 2 in the harbour
Mammals
None
Fish
Blue Shark 1 reeled in at Brown's Mountain
Mako Shark 1 reeled in at Brown's Mountain
Regards
Tony Palliser (.....Sydney, Australia)
Phone.....+61 2 9900 1678 or Home +61 2 9427 7563
Fax.......+61 2 9900 1669
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