28 May 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:
Lots of Storm Petrels swirling around the boat
In total we recorded just over 2,400 stunning seabirds, and 20 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions on the day were fine, with 5 knot winds and a 1.3m 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 – 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)
5 x White-capped Albatross
2 x Brown Skua
750 x Fairy Prion
1 x Cook's Petrel
30 x Grey-faced Petrel
2 x Black Petrel
3 x Buller's Shearwater
65 x Fluttering Shearwater
36 x Little Shearwater
3 x Wilson's Storm Petrel
25 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
600 x Common Diving Petrel
6 x Little Blue Penguin
145 x Australasian Gannet
1 x White-fronted Tern
700 x Red-billed Gull
3 x Black-backed Gull
39 x Pied Shag
2 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:
60 x Common Dolphin
31 x NZ Fur Seal