Participants:
Ruth Brozek, Allan Gibbon, Iris Gibbon, Rob Hamilton, Jan Knott, Mona
Loofs-Samorzewski, Joy Peter, Owen Roberts, Glynis Roberts, Els Wakefield,
Andrew Walter and Paul Brooks (organiser and report compiler)
Boat:
The Pauletta, skippered by John Males, with deckhand Michael Males.
Conditions and Activity:
Left port at 0720 hrs to circumnavigate the Hippolytes. Winds were from
the north-east at around 15 knots, and would remain similar for much of the
day. Weather was mild and partly cloudy; inshore water temperature was 19
deg C. Seas inshore were between 1 and 1.5 m with a swell under 1 m. We
pulled up for our first berley run, over 250 fathoms, east of the
Hippolytes at 0910 hrs. The north-easterly was a fairly constant 25 knots
and the seas remained below 1.5 m. We drifted back into 200 fathoms before
heading north-east to set another slick over 500 fathoms, drifting in to
430 fathoms. Conditions here were very similar with perhaps a slight drop
in wind speed. Water temperature remained in the low 19 deg Cs out wide.
Motored straight back to port, docking at 1455 hrs. One seasick.
Mammals:
Australian/New Zealand Fur Seal: c. 60 around the Hippolytes.
Common Dolphin: 1 Pelagic.
Other:
2 Shortfin Mako Sharks attracted to our berley in pelagic waters.
Birds (IOC v 5.1 – max at one time in brackets):
Little Penguin: 1 Inshore in the morning.
Antipodean Albatross: 4 (3) All pelagic, all Gibson’s.
Black-browed Albatross: 6 (4) 1 adult offshore in the morning followed the
boat beyond the shelf; 4 immatures and a different adult in pelagic waters.
Shy Albatross: c. 80 (26) 12 inshore in the morning; 8 offshore; remainder
pelagic. Many birds followed the boat between berley points.
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross: 3 (1) All adults, all pelagic.
Buller’s Albatross: 18 (4) All adult. 5 inshore in the morning, 7
offshore in the morning, 6 pelagic.
Northern Giant Petrel: 2 (1) Both immature, both pelagic.
Great-winged Petrel: 2 (2) Both birds joined the boat not long after the
first berley point and fed in the slick. One was particularly tatty. Both
race *gouldi*.
White-chinned Petrel: 11 (6) All pelagic, bar a single bird just outside
Pirates Bay in the afternoon.
Sooty Shearwater: 3 (1) Pelagic.
Short-tailed Shearwater: c. 1,100 (c. 300) A few inshore in the morning; up
to 800 offshore in the morning; remainder pelagic, with many birds feeding
in the slick.
Fluttering Shearwater: 1 Near Cheverton Rock (inshore).
Hutton’s Shearwater: 1 Pelagic.
Fluttering-type Shearwater: 3 (1) 2 inshore, 1 offshore.
Wilson’s Storm Petrel: 2 (1) Pelagic.
White-faced Storm Petrel: c. 30 (13) All pelagic.
Grey-backed Storm Petrel: 1 Pelagic.
Common Diving Petrel: 1 offshore in the afternoon.
Black-faced Cormorant: c.528 (c. 150) 28 inshore in the morning; c. 200 on
Cheverton Rock; c. 300 on the Hippolyte.
Australasian Gannet: c. 195 (c. 90) 13 inshore in the morning; c. 30 on
Cheverton Rock; c. 150 on the Hippolyte.
Silver Gull: c. 172 (c.100) 11 inshore in the morning; 12 on Cheverton
Rock; and c. 150 around the Hippolyte, including a raft of around 100 on
the south-western side.
Pacific Gull: 3 (2) All adults – inshore in the morning.
Kelp Gull: c.25 (c. 40) 8 inshore in the morning; 8 juveniles on Cheverton
Rock; remainder at the Hippolyte.
Greater Crested Tern: 6 (2) 4 inshore in the morning; 2 at the Hippolyte.
PB
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