15 Dec 2025
THE PETREL STATION TOUR REPORT
67,000 SEABIRDS --> 29 SPECIES!
An outstanding day on the ocean wrapped up our final seabird tour of 2025 out at The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
Highlights of the tour were:
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (scarce in mainland NZ)
Over 500 Cook's Petrel (most we've recorded in a single day)
12 Pycroft's (most we've recorded in a single day)
8 Shearwater species (most we've recorded in a single day)
In total we recorded just short of 67,000 stunning seabirds, and 29 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions on the day were mostly fine/overcast, with 8-15 knot winds and a 1.5m 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:
2 x NZ Wandering Albatross (ssp. Gibson's)
4 x Northern Royal Albatross
1 x Salvin's Albatross
10 x White-capped Albatross
28,000 x Fairy Prion
504 x Cook's Petrel
12 x Pycroft's Petrel
2 x Black-winged Petrel
6 x Grey-faced Petrel
26 x Black Petrel
33,500 x Buller's Shearwater
600 x Fluttering Shearwater
2 x Hutton's Shearwater
10 x Little Shearwater
1 x Wedge-tailed Shearwater
24 x Flesh-footed Shearwater
1 x Sooty Shearwater
8 x Short-tailed Shearwater
27 x White-faced Storm Petrel
2 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
1 x Wilson's Storm Petrel
35 x Common Diving Petrel
2 x Little Blue Penguin
12 x Grey Noddy
2,800 x Australasian Gannet
1,200 x Red-billed Gull
4 x Black-backed Gull
79 x Pied Shag
1 x Little Shag
Other marine life encountered:
1 x Blue Shark
1 x Bronze-whaler Shark
2 x Flying Fish