EAGLEHAWK NECK BOAT TRIP - 22 February 2004
GROUP: Adrian Boyle, Barry Bucholtz, Rohan Clarke, Chris and
Rosemary Lester, Jann and Ross Mulholland, David Parker, Grant Penrhyn,
Bruce Reynolds, Colin Rogers, Judith and Neil Russill, Bill Wakefield.
VESSEL/SKIPPER: Pauletta / John Males with deckie.
WEATHER: Fine early, but cloud developed and we had a few, brief
showers. Inshore there was very little breeze, but at the shelf in the
morning there was a WSW wind of 15 knots freshening to 20-25 knots in the
afternoon.
SEA: In the morning, a small chop of about 0.5m with no swell
rising to less than 1m chop on a 0.5m swell in the afternoon.
ACTIVITY: Sailed 07.20. Headed NE from Pirates Bay to about 2nm
inside the shelf. Berleyed from 09.15 at the first stop at 42(superscript:
o) 54.7'S 148(superscript: o)17.4'E in 58 fathoms with water temperature at
16.1(superscript: o) C. A trawler was present for a while with a few extra
birds. Drifted 1nm NE until 10.00. Then continued E and stopped at 10.40
in 400 fathoms (16.1(superscript: o) C) at 43(superscript: o) 02.1'S 147
(superscript: o) 55.6'E, about 3nm past the shelf. Drifted another 1.5nm E
until 11.30. Returned to just over the shelf at 43(superscript: o) 01.8'S
148(superscript: o) 09.0'E and stopped at 13.00 in 130 fathoms (16.3
(superscript: o)C) . Drifted another 0.5nm S until 13.45. Travelled in and
docked about 15.40.
MAMMALS: Australian Fur-Seals around the shelf.
BIRDS: A quiet day on the water. The predicted weather
conditions promised some interesting possibilities, but the unusual species
failed to eventuate. So, it was a solid bird list without anything
exceptional. The real excitement was on the land, where John Males' son
and his friends had located a crested penguin. After the boat trip, we
walked along the cliffs to the gully where the penguin had been located the
previous day. It was still there in heavy moult and the group inspected it
and took some pictures. After some additional work at home later, our
initial identification was confirmed as a FIORDLAND PENGUIN.
Common Diving-Petrel 6. (1)
Great-winged Petrel 3. (2)
White-chinned Petrel 35. (25)
Sooty Shearwater 3. (1)
Short-tailed Shearwater 3,000. (500)
Fluttering Shearwater 4. (1)
Hutton's Shearwater 1.
Wandering Albatross 1.
Royal Albatross 2. (1) 1 Northern and 1 Southern RA.
Black-browed Albatross 20. (15) 3 impavida
Shy Albatross 100. (60)
Yellow-nosed Albatross 8. (4)
Buller's Albatross 40. (25)
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel 10. (2)
White-faced Storm-Petrel 40. (20)
Australasian Gannet 200. (90)
Black-faced Cormorant 40. (20)
Arctic Jaeger 1. (Three other jaegers were seen
but not identified.)
Pacific Gull 3. On ledges outside Pirates Bay.
Kelp Gull 15. 1 out towards shelf and 14 on
ledges.
Silver Gull 31. 1 out towards shelf and 30 on
ledges.
Crested Tern 250. 200 on ledges.
Remaining 2004 Trips: 19 September and 21 November.
Please note that Bill Wakefield has also scheduled trips on 26 & 27 June
2004. He can be contacted on <> if you want
further information.
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