Hi All, here is the pelagic report for Southport for April 16th;
Southport, Queensland Date: 16/4/2011 Vessel: 37 ft Monohull, MV Grinner Crew: Craig Newton (skipper), Darren Shingles (deckie) Pax: Paul Walbridge (leader & organizer), Rob Morris, Andrew Walter, Brian Russell, Glen Pacey, Robert Burgoyne, Brian Coates, Jim Sneddon, Richard Noske, Stuart Warren, Richard Baxter, Inger Van Dyke, Andy Jenson, Stuart Pickering.
Weather conditions: A series of lows off eastern Australia with a trough to the east of the Queensland coast brought increasing rain to the SEQ coast. Heavy cloud early on the coast, lightening off and getting higher further out to sea until late morning when cloud increasing and squalls appearing along with water spouts. Winds light, 5-10 knots from ENE for most of the morning until early afternoon when the southerly change came through with SSE winds 25+ knots. Visibility good for most of the day but gradually deteriorating later in the afternoon. Maximum air temp. 24* C, barometric pressure 1016 hPa.
Sea conditions: Light seas, on <1 swell on leaving the Seaway all the way out to the drift point beyond the Shelf-break. With the arrival of the southerly change conditions rapidly deteriorated with seas rising to 2 metres on up to 2+ metre swell. Sea surface temps. 24.3* C at the Seaway, rising to 26* C at the Shelf-break and a maximum of 26.7* C out wide. Summary: Crossed the Seaway at 0643 hours and with the trawlers already docked headed straight for the *Riviera* grounds 28 nm east of Southport. Crossed the Shelf-break at 0930 hrs, reaching the drift point at 1020 hrs. Drifted south at approx. 2 knots until 1250 hrs, then proceeded slowly back down the slick, the headed for home. Reached the Seaway at 1610 hrs, total duration of trip 9 hrs 27 mins. With all the baitfish reportedly around surprisingly little bird life on leaving the Seaway, just a solitary juvenile Australasian Gannet (early) and Wedge-tailed Shearwater and Crested Terns, so we headed directly out to the *Riviera* grounds. The first interesting sighting just 5 nm offshore was the first Wilson*s Storm-Petrel of the day followed by singles of Fluttering and Hutton*s Shearwaters. Little of note for the rest of the journey across the Shelf but with Richard Baxter tossing over the occasional spoonful of berley combined with the berley bag, we had a small following of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters out to the Shelf-break. On reaching the drift point at 1020 hrs it wasn*t long before the first Wilson*s Storm Petrel appeared followed quickly by several Tahiti Petrels and the first Providence Petrels of the season. Over the next hour and a half they were mainly the species feeding along the slick with the occasional Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Just on 1200 hrs a pale phase Kermadec Petrel appeared briefly around the vessel before disappearing down the slick and reappearing occasionally in the distance. Also at this time the only Pomarine Jaegers and an Arctic Jaeger turned up harassing the other birds and picking at the surface. One or two Flesh-footed Shearwaters began circling the boat but Tahiti Petrels and Wilson*s Storm-Petrels remained the dominant species with new birds arriving frequently. 1250 hrs and the first fresh gusts of wind signalled the imminent arrival of the forecasted southerly *buster* and it was time to head for home. As we did the customary motor down the slick a Short-tailed Shearwater arrived at the rear of the vessel and several Tahiti Petrels and Providence Petrels continued to follow us in the wake. In fact one or two Tahiti Petrels continued to follow distantly in the wake for some time. Heading back and now well and truly on the Shelf several more Wilson*s Storm-Petrels, Tahiti Petrels and Providence Petrels continued to appear along with another Short-tailed Shearwater and Flesh-footed Shearwater with the last significant sighting of the day being of a single Tahiti Petrel, some 11 nm from shore. Species Wilson*s Storm-Petrel * 61 (20) Wedge-tailed Shearwater * 19 (10) Flesh-footed Shearwater * 3 (1) Short-tailed Shearwater * 2 (1) Fluttering Shearwater * 1 Hutton*s Shearwater * 1 Tahiti Petrel * 26 (5) Kermadec Petrel * 1 Providence Petrel * 13 (4) Australasian Gannet * 1 Pomarine Jaeger * 2 Arctic Jaeger * 1 Crested Tern * 5 (3) Cetaceans: Offshore Bottle-nose Dolphin - many dozens towards the end of the drift, feeding with lots of surface tail-slapping, many young with them. The May 21st trip has had to be cancelled due to the vessel being on the Steber slipway for important half-life upgrades. The next pelagic is now on June 18th with plenty of spots still available. Contact Paul Walbridge on: PH: (H) 07 3256 4124 (W) 07 3139 4584 E-mail: Paul_Walbridge@health.qld.gov.au
Cheers – Paul W.
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