7 Oct 2026
THE PETREL STATION TOUR REPORT
45,000 SEABIRDS --> 25 SPECIES
Had an excellent spring season day out on the latest pelagic seabird tour to The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
Highlights of the tour were:
3 stunning Chatham Albatross (very scarce to see off mainland NZ) !!
A Southern Giant Petrel (scarce this far north)
Huge flock's of Buller's Shearwaters, as well as lots of Little Shearwaters and Sooty Shearwaters
Multiple large pods of dolphins
In total we recorded just short of 45,000 stunning seabirds, and 25 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions on the day were fine, with 5-10 knot winds and a 1.5m swell.
Keen to join us for a unique seabird experience? 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 Chatham Albatross
6 x Northern Royal Albatross
6 x Salvin's Albatross
1 x Campbell Albatross
25 x White-capped Albatross
1 x Southern Giant Petrel
5 x Northern Giant Petrel
9,000 x Fairy Prion
22 x Cook's Petrel
1 x Grey-faced Petrel
3 x Black Petrel
33,000 x Buller's Shearwater
62 x Fluttering Shearwater
45 x Little Shearwater
7 x Flesh-footed Shearwater
107 x Sooty Shearwater
22 x White-faced Storm Petrel
9 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
265 x Common Diving Petrel
1,800 x Australasian Gannet
6 x White-fronted Tern
75 x Red-billed Gull
4 x Black-backed Gull
62 x Pied Shag
1 x Little Black Shag
Learn more about the seabird species seen on this tour:
Albatross • Petrels • Shearwaters • Storm Petrels • Prions • Skuas • Other Seabirds
Other marine life encountered:
700 x Common Dolphin
12 x NZ Fur Seal