Hi all,
Here's a trip report for a pelagic excursion that ran off Port Fairy on
Sunday 10th August.
Regards
Rohan Clarke
PORT FAIRY (PF), VIC, PELAGIC TRIP REPORT, 10 August 2003
OBSERVERS:Geoff Walker, Rob Berry, Gail Berry, Andrew Wells, Peter Cockram,
Lisa Cockram, John Berry, Marilyn Berry, Euan Fothergill, Giles Daubaney,
Ray Shultz, George Appleby and Rohan Clarke
WEATHER: Sunny in the early am. Becoming overcast by 9:30 and generally
staying that way for the remainder of the day. Good visibility but light not
ideal for photography. Cool to cold. NE wind to 10 knots inshore at first,
rising to 20 knots well offshore. 20 knots as we came in swinging to more
easterly
SEA: A light chop on a 2-3 m confused swell on the way out. The swell
dropped off through the day with the wind from the opposite direction.
ACTIVITY: Sailed at 07.20 EST. With the exception of a band of albatross and
gannets around the 44 fathom mark few birds were seen on the trip out. We
crossed the shelf break (100 fathoms) at 0930 west of the sea mount before
tracking to it at 38º49.2'S 141º51.2'E. Three main burley stops beyond the
shelf. Initially, bird numbers were low at each site but they grew to
moderate aggregations with reasonable diversity. Return leg saw a brief stop
for a pod of common dolphins and associated gannets and albatross. We
cruised off the western and northern shores of Lady Julia Percy Island
(LJPI) before the run into Port Fairy to dock around 1630.
MAMMALS: Common Dolphin a pod of 5 in offshore waters in the am and a pod of
10 in offshore waters in the pm.
1,000's of Australian Fur Seals at LJPI mostly females with large pups. Also
about 20 at sea mostly as scattered individuals in offshore waters. 1 badly
entangled juvenile in orange netting ashore on LJPI.
BIRDS: 21 species of seabird beyond the river mouth indicated fair to good
diversity. For the regulars a fairly quite day although some darkish juv
Black-browed Albatross, Slender-billed Prion, Grey-backed Storm Petrel
provided interest.
Little Penguin: 5 offshore.
Great-winged Petrel: 35 (20). all nominate race
Cape Petrel: 2 (2)
Fairy Prion: c. 500, mostly offshore, but 100 pelagic & few inshore.
SLENDER-BILLED PRION: 1
Sooty Shearwater: 1 at the shelf
Fluttering/Hutton's Shearwater: 2 inshore, 2 offshore.
Wandering Albatross: 2, 1 stage 1-2 and 1 stage 4
Black-browed Albatross: 60 (40) with nom. race, 50 (30), impavida 10
(mostly imms)
(6)
Shy Albatross cauta: 40 (25). 4 inshore, 7 offshore
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 15 (6). 1 offshore, 5 inshore.
Southern Giant Petrel 5 (4) 1 pelagic, 4 together near LJPI incl. 1 white
phase. All juveniles.
Northern Giant Petrel 1 juv near LJPI
Common Diving Petrel: 1 inshore
GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL: 1
Australasian Gannet: c.400 (200) mostly offshore but 1 pelagic.
Black-faced Cormorant: 1 ad inshore
Southern Skua 2 (1); 1 inshore, 1 pelagic
Kelp Gull: 7 on LJPI.
Silver Gull: 20 on LJPI
Crested Tern: 40 (6). 7 inshore, 14 offshore, 3 pelagic
Rohan Clarke
Department of Zoology
La Trobe University
Vic 3086
office 03 9479 1672 mobile 0408 947 001
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