22 Aug 2026
THE PETREL STATION TOUR REPORT
Had another great winter's day out to finish an outstanding winter seabird season on the latest pelagic seabird tour to The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
Highlights of the tour were:
Lots of Little Shearwater and Common Diving Petrels
In total we recorded just over 5,500 stunning seabirds, and 17 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions on the day were mostly fine, with 7-12 knot winds and a small 0.7m swell.
It's been an amazing winter seabird season which has resulted in an impressive list of scarcer Southern Ocean visitors that we've encountered in the last 2 months ... and now it's time for our spectacular spring seabird season tours .. bring it on!! 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:
1 x NZ Wandering Albatross (ssp. Gibson's)
3 x Buller's Albatross
1 x Salvin's Albatross
9 x White-capped Albatross
1 x Southern Giant Petrel
1 x Northern Giant Petrel
1,600 x Fairy Prion
19 x Grey-faced Petrel
1,150 x Common Diving Petrel
825 x Fluttering Shearwater
44 x Little Shearwater
1 x Grey-backed Storm Petrel
1,750 x Australasian Gannet
55 x Red-billed Gull
20 x Black-backed Gull
61 x Pied 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:
2 x Blue Shark
9 x NZ Fur Seal