01 Feb 2026
THE PETREL STATION TOUR REPORT
Had an awesome day out on the latest pelagic seabird tour to The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
Highlights of the tour were:
Record number of 18 Pycroft's Petrel
105 Grey Noddy - our highest ever February record
In total we recorded just over 24,000 stunning seabirds, and 18 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions on the day were overcast, with 3-7 knot winds and a 1.2m swell.
Keen to join us for a unique seabird experience in 2026? Our ‘Summer’ tours are filling up fast 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. Antipodean)
300 x Fairy Prion
159 x Cook's Petrel
18 x Pycroft's Petrel
2 x Black-winged Petrel
39 x Black Petrel
19,000 x Buller's Shearwater
400 x Fluttering Shearwater
2 x Little Shearwater
11 x Short-tailed Shearwater
95 x Flesh-footed Shearwater
8 x White-faced Storm Petrel
6 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
105 x Grey Noddy
2,250 x Australasian Gannet
1,600 x Red-billed Gull
2 x Black-backed Gull
70 x Pied Shag
Other marine life encountered:
80 x Common Dolphin
1 x NZ Fur Seal
1 x Flying Fish