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Eden (NSW) Pelagic Report Aug 29, 2004

To: birding-aus <>
Subject: Eden (NSW) Pelagic Report Aug 29, 2004
From: Barbara Jones <>
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 2004 16:45:31 +1000
Eden (NSW) Pelagic Report August 29, 2004
From David Webb:
On board the Connemara were Eric Andrew, Bill Hetherington, David Mules,
Michael Mules, Graham Ross, Richard Menefy, Paul Barden, Jason Searle,
Ewan Gemmell, Yasmin Wrighter, Aiden & David Webb. Skipper John Smith
and decky Manfred Noether

Weather
A mild day to 18 Deg C with light NE winds 5-10 knots in the morning
rising 10-15 in the afternoon.
Sea calm with a swell to .5 of a meter.
Skies were overcast all day.
Water temperatures 14.5 Deg C in the Bay rising to an unusually warm for
this time of year 18.7 Deg C at the shelf.

Heading out through Twofold Bay we kept an almost NE direction straight
to the shelf. Bird numbers were generally low just an odd Shy Albatross
resting on the water, a lone Brown Skua crossed our wake and an
occasional Gannet passed over. We stopped briefly in 45 fathoms to
survey several small flocks of Fluttering Shearwaters. We stopped again
at the 65 fathom mark as the bird numbers began to grow picking up more
Shy Albatross also Yellow-nosed and a black-browed. Our main stop just
over the shelf added Wandering and Salvins Albatross, Cape, Great-winged
and Providence Petrels, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, and White-fronted Tern.
On the return trip two distant Giant Petrels were spotted. Trolled lures
on the way home picked up several Albacore and Bluefin Tuna a welcome
bonus feed for everyone on a generally quiet day. We docked at 15.30.

Giant Petrel Sp. 2 (1)
Cape Petrel 2 (1)
Great-winged Petrel 6 (3)
Providence Petrel 8 (3)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 2 (1)
Fluttering Shearwater 70 (50)
Wandering Albatross 2 (stage 1) +1 probably gibsoni (stage 5)
Black-browed Albatross 2 (2)
Impavida 2 (2)
Shy Albatross cauta 60 (50)
Salvins 4 (4)
Yellow-nosed Albatross 7 (5)
Australian Gannet 20 (10)
Australian Pelican 6 (6)
Brown Skua 2 (1)
White-fronted Tern 9 (7)
Crested Tern
Silver Gull
Pacific Gull

Eden trips arranged by Far South Coast Birdwatchers on the fifth Sunday
of the months where they occur. Next trip Sunday October 31, 2004
Contact Barbara Jones at  phones 02 6495 7390 or
David Webb at 

Marine Mammal observer on board for this trip was Graham Ross who
supplied this report:
Bottlenose Dolphins (most likely Tursiops aduncus)were seen in the Eden
harbour by the Captain. Temperature in Harbour 15.6º. Humpback Whales
were the most numerous cetacean observed in the area. The Connemara left
Eden Harbour at 08:30. Outside the harbour, an unidentified dolphin
showed its fin twice briefly. The boat headed at 60º towards the shelf
edge. Surface temperature was 16º at 9:15 am, sea state was 1-2, and 18º
in 45 fathoms, and seastate 1 at 10:06 am in 68 fathoms. Approached the
shelf edge some 19 miles offshore at 1100 hrs, in 120 fathoms, at
37º:00’,150º20’, in water at 18.7º deg., which is unusually warm for the
area. Restart at 1200 hrs after successful berleying, in sea state 2-3,
which built to sea state 3-4 within the hour. Turned for the Eden
harbour at 13:20 and entered at 3:25 pm. Water temperature in the
harbour was 15.6º.
Humpback Whales were observed or detected when breaching or blowing.
They were seen at: 09:30 am, when 2 whales breached, and others
spyhopped. A count of blows at this position about 1 km away suggested
the presence of 4-6 animals altogether cords: 37º03’S, 150º13’E. At
09:50 am another breaching whale was seen about 1 km distant, ca.
37º03’S, 150º 01’E. Between 14:00 and 14:30, 6 or 7 high breaches were
observed along the shore, suggesting the probable presence of 3-4
individual whales. Connemara re-entered harbour at 15:20 pm. Water
temperature in harbour 16.6º deg. Conditions for observing marine
mammals were generally good, other than the period between 13:00 and
15:00 pm.





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