1 Aug 2026
THE PETREL STATION TOUR REPORT
Had a great day out on the latest pelagic seabird tour to The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
Highlights of the tour were:
Huge numbers of Common Diving Petrels often really close to the boat
Plenty of Grey-faced Petrels soaring around the boat
In total we recorded just short of 7,500 stunning seabirds, and 16 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions on the day were fine/overcast, with 3-15 knot winds and a 1m swell.
Keen to join us for a unique seabird experience? We've got one winter tour to go, and then it's into the spring season seabird spectacle! ... Check out our upcoming tour dates and get in touch – It’s always a great day out 😁.
Here’s the full tour results from the day:
Seabirds seen:
3 x Buller's Albatross
8 x White-capped Albatross
1 x Northern Giant Petrel
2,500 x Fairy Prion
1 x Cook's Petrel
135 x Grey-faced Petrel
150 x Fluttering Shearwater
29 x Little Shearwater
2,750 x Common Diving Petrel
1,900 x Australasian Gannet
1 x Caspian Tern
50 x Red-billed Gull
4 x Black-backed Gull
58 x Pied Shag
2 x Little Black Shag
1 x Little Shag
Learn more about the seabird species seen on this tour:
Albatross • Petrels • Shearwaters • Storm Petrels • Prions • Skuas • Other Seabirds
Other marine life encountered:
200+ Common Dolphin
18 x NZ Fur Seal