Eaglehawk Pelagic, 7th Feb 2016

Participants:

Hazel Britton, Karen Dick, Ian Halliday, Rob Hamilton, Matthew Lark,
Christina Port, Lauren Roman, Nicole Sommer, Peter Valentine, Els
Wakefield, Martin Willis, Neil Wingert and Paul Brooks (report compiler)
Trip organised by Inala Nature Tours.

Boat:

The Pauletta, skippered by John Males, with deckhand Michael Males.

Activity:

Left port at 0710 hrs to circumnavigate the Hippolytes then headed east to
berley over 270 fathoms at 0925 hrs, drifting NNE to 360 fathoms. Berleyed
here until 1050 hrs with various fish frames, chicken skins and tuna oil.
Headed north for 40 mins to berley again over 405 fathoms, hardly drifting
as the tide pushed us back into the wind. Headed back towards the
Hippolytes at 1235 hrs, trawling around here amongst large numbers of
shearwaters, before heading back to port to dock at 1455 hrs.

Conditions:

Left port in light south-westerlies with a gentle north-westerly swell.
Out wide, winds were light and variable but generally southerly with a
gentle 1.5 m swell. Around 1040 hrs, the wind steadied from the SSW,
picking up to around 15kn and freshening, but seas remained low. Skies
were mainly cloudy until we got back to the Hippolyte in the afternoon,
when the sun broke through. Water temperature hovered around 21-22 deg C
in all waters with mild air temperatures. None seasick.

Mammals:

Australian/New Zealand Fur Seal: c. 50 (28) on and around the Hippolytes.

Fish:

Shark sp: 1 in pelagic waters – either a Shortfin Mako or Blue Shark.

Birds (IOC v 5.3 – max at one time in brackets):

Wandering Albatross: 1 in pelagic waters.

Black-browed Albatross: 1 bird following a trawler well inshore in the
afternoon.

Shy Albatross: c. 50 (22) 7 offshore in the morning; remainder pelagic,
including 3 juveniles.

Buller’s Albatross: 25 (7) 6 inshore; 8 offshore; remainder pelagic.

Fairy Prion: 7 (2) 4 offshore; remainder pelagic.

White-chinned Petrel: 8 (4) All in pelagic waters.

Sooty Shearwater: 2 (1) Both in pelagic waters.

Short-tailed Shearwater: c. 4000 (c. 1000) Abundant inshore in the
afternoon.

Fluttering Shearwater: 6 (2) 2 offshore in the morning and 4 in the
afternoon.

Hutton’s Shearwater: 2 (1) 1 offshore in the morning, another inshore in
the afternoon.

Flutton’s Shearwater: 12 (2) 5 offshore in the morning; 3 offshore in the
afternoon and 4 inshore in the afternoon.

Wilson’s Storm Petrel: 1 Pelagic waters.

Grey-backed Storm Petrel: 1 Pelagic waters.

White-faced Storm Petrel: 17 (9) All in pelagic waters.

Common Diving Petrel: 2 (1) 1 offshore in the morning, another just as we
crossed the shelf-break.

Black-faced Cormorant: c.560 (c. 300) 10 inshore in the morning; remainder
on the Hippolytes.

Australasian Gannet: 29 (25) 7 inshore in the morning, remainder on the
Hippolyte.

Silver Gull: c. 25 (12) Inshore and on the Hippolytes plus 2 birds in
pelagic waters.

Pacific Gull: 3 (3) 1 adults with 2 juveniles at The Hippolyte.

Kelp Gull: c. 30 (c. 20) c. 20 inshore in the morning; remainder around the
Hippolytes.

Greater Crested Tern: 15 (12) 3 inshore in the morning; remainder on
Cheverton Rock.

PB