19 June 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).
While it was World Albatross Day and we encountered a range of stunning Albatross species, one of the highlights of the tour was the big numbers of Common Diving Petrel which were darting all over the place, including right into the slick by the boat.
In total we recorded just short of 3,000 stunning seabirds, and 16 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions on the day were fine, with 10-15 knot winds and a 1.5m swell.
Keen to join us for a unique seabird experience in 2026? We’re now into our winter season when all the Albatross species and Southern Ocean seabirds return to our area, and our local winter breeders build up in numbers too. So check out our upcoming seabird tour dates and get in touch … and our spring season madness is on the way too – It’s always a great day out 😁.
Here’s the full tour results from the day:
Seabirds seen:
1 x NZ Wandering Albatross (ssp Gibson's)
3 Buller's Albatross
1 x Campbell's Albatross
16 x White-capped Albatross
295 x Fairy Prion
2 x Cook's Petrel
7 x Fluttering Shearwater
2 x Little Shearwater
5 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
2,000 x Common Diving Petrel
530 x Australasian Gannet
20 x Red-billed Gull
6 x Black-backed Gull
41 x Pied Shag
1 x Little Shag
4 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:
19 x NZ Fur Seal