PELAGIC TRIP OFF PORT FAIRY, VIC, Saturday 5th August 2006
This was an additional trip put on for staff at Biosis Research. The monthly
BA Vic group trip also got out on Sunday. Mike Carter will post a report on
that one shortly.
OBSERVERS: Daniel Gilmore (organiser), Katherine Nelson, Bretan Clifford,
Mark Venosta, Katrina Sofo, Ruth, Nicky Schnittler, Errol Nye, Jeff Yugovic,
Anne-Marie Burgoine, Simon Starr & Rohan Clarke (leader/organiser).
WEATHER: Conditions were overcast and dull with 100% cloud cover in the
morning clearing to patchy sunshine in the afternoon. Generally good
visibility but a bit dull at first. Cool. There was no wind as we departed
the harbour, about an hour latera breeze sprang up and built to perhaps 10
knots in offshore waters before decreasing to less than 5 knots beyond the
shelf. The wind continued to drop as we heading in so that the last hour was
again calm.
SEA: 2-3 m broad swell, initially glassy but building to 0.5 m sea in
offshore waters. With the decreasing wind the sea abated, and on the run
from Lady Julia Percy Island back to Port Fairy conditions were again
glassy. A very comfortable ride with no spray. Two punters seasick.
ACTIVITY: Sailed at 0725 EST. Headed directly to the shelf break without a
stop. There was a reasonable number of albatross in inshore waters, with the
usual lull between here and deeper offshore waters. Large numbers of prions
in offshore waters were encountered around the 65-fathom mark. Several small
patches of krill visible at the sea surface between 60 and 80 fathoms were
no doubt the reason for the prions. Crossed the shelf break (100 fathoms) at
0945 and proceeded directly to a working trawler. Here we stopped and
berleyed with shark liver at 38º50.26?S 141º57.05?E over 180 fathoms of
water. Two further stops were made at 38º52.19?S 141º50.64?E, and then at
38º47.46?S 141º53.07?E over deeper waters before heading back in at 1300. We
cruised the shores of Lady Julia Percy Island (LJPI) between 1455 and 1525
before docking at around 1625.
MAMMALS: 1,000s of Australian Fur Seals at LJPI. Also ~4 at sea including
one adult male pelagic at the last berley point. One yearling and one adult
female on LJPI were separately entangled in heavy blue and green nylon
netting.
A small pod of Common Dolphins (2+)were encountered at 38º29.92?S
142º10.16?E over 27 fathoms but showed little interest in the boat.
SPERM WHALE: A single animal over 320 fathoms at 38º51.57?S 141º51.51?E
provided excellent views as it caught its breath at the surface.
BIRDS: 20 species beyond the river mouth indicated average diversity.
Highlights were the good views of a number of Wandering Albatross and
repeated approaches by a White-fronted Tern over a 10-minute period.
Little Penguin: 5 (2). 3 inshore on the return leg. 1 close to the boat at
LJPI and 1 on LJPI.
Great-winged Petrel: 10 (4). Mostly nominate race, 1 gouldi. All pelagic.
Cape Petrel: 10 (8). All pelagic. All nominate race.
Fairy Prion: 500 (100). Most over krill patches in offshore waters. Beyond
the shelf we attracted a maximum of 5.
SLENDER-BILLED PRION: 3 (1). Reasonable views of one at the second berley
point. Brief views of one in offshore waters in the am and another in
offshore waters in the pm.
Southern Giant-Petrel: 2 (1). A juvenile at second berley point. An immature
close to Griffith Island (Port Fairy) in the pm.
Common Diving Petrel: 3 (1). 2 inshore in am, 1 inshore in pm.
Wandering Albatross: 6 individuals on plumage; at least 4 gibsoni + 1
antipodensis. No exulens type individuals.
Black-browed Albatross: nom. race 70 (35). 50 pelagic, 14 offshore, 9
inshore, mostly adults but 3 imms pelagic and 1 imm. inshore: impavida, 8
(4) mostly immature, 1 sub-adult, no adults. All pelagic.
Shy Albatross cauta: 65 (25). 4 inshore, 6 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Mostly adult. salvini: 1 immature offshore.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 15 (5). 4 offshore, remainder pelagic. All adults.
GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL: 6 (6). All pelagic.
Hutton?s Shearwater: 1 inshore in am.
Fluttering Shearwater: 2 inshore in am. (there were another ~10
Hutton?s/Fluttering Shearwaters seen but not identified to species).
Sooty Shearwater: 1 offshore in pm.
Australasian Gannet: 40 (10), 5 inshore, 28 offshore, 7 pelagic. All adult.
Kelp Gull: 10 on LJPI.
Silver Gull: 4 on LJPI and 2 inshore.
White-fronted Tern: 1 offshore, 1 pelagic. Both immature.
Crested Tern: 70 (20). Mostly inshore but 10 pelagic. None on LJPI.
On LJPI Sooty Oystercatcher (1), Brown Falcon (2), Swamp Harrier (2),
Nankeen Kestrel (1), White-fronted Chat (6), Welcome Swallow (6+) and
Starling were also observed.
Regards,
Rohan Clarke
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