21 Sep 2025
THE PETREL STATION TOUR REPORT
What a cracker start to the spring 2025 seabird tour season out at The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka!
Highlights on the day were:
Buller’s Shearwaters back in force, with thousands more still to arrive for breeding
Our highest count yet of Sooty Shearwaters, a constant feature throughout the day
Two massive Bryde’s Whales surfacing right beside the boat
In total we recorded 22 seabird species and close to 30,000 stunning seabirds. See the full species list below. Conditions were overcast/fine with 20-knot winds and a lively 1.8 m swell.
Keen to join us for some unique spring seabird action? Check out our upcoming seabird tour dates and get in touch – the best way to experience these stunning seabirds is out on the ocean, in their world. It’s always a great day out!
Here’s the full tour results from the day:
Seabirds seen:
2 x Antipodean Albatross (ssp. Gibson's)
1 x Northern Royal Albatross
3 x Buller's Albatross
15 x White-capped Albatross
3 x Northern Giant Petrel
4,500 x Fairy Prion
42 x Cook's Petrel
270 x Grey-faced Petrel
20,000 x Buller's Shearwater
310 x Fluttering Shearwater
53 x Little Shearwater
1,100 x Sooty Shearwater
9 x White-faced Storm Petrel
23 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
500 x Common Diving Petrel
1 x Little Blue Penguin
1,775 x Gannet
450 x Red-billed Gull
4 x Black-backed Gull
47 x Pied Shag
1 x Black Shag
2 x Little Black Shag
Other marine life encountered:
2 x Brydes Whales
20 x NZ Fur Seal