24 May 2025

2025AUTUMNTOUR REPORT
Written By Scott Brooks

THE PETREL STATION TOUR REPORT

Had a fantastic day out on the latest pelagic seabird tour to The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).

Highlights of the tour were:

  • Soft-plumaged Petrel (scarce this far north - our 4th ever record)

  • Antarctic Prion

  • 6 Grey Noddy (normally they depart early May so this is the latest we've ever recorded them).

  • Loads of Little Shearwater throughout the day

During the tour we recorded 24 different seabird species, and enjoyed watching just over 10,000 stunning seabirds in total! Conditions on the day were mostly fine / overcast, with 8-12 knot winds and a 1m swell. See below for the full list of seabirds recorded on the tour.

If you’re interested in coming out to The Petrel Station then check out the 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 Antipodean Albatross (ssp. Gibsons)

  • 3 x White-capped Albatross

  • 7,500 x Fairy Prion

  • 1 x Antarctic Prion

  • 1 x Soft-Plumaged Petrel

  • 1 x Cape Petrel

  • 12 x Grey-faced Petrel

  • 10 x Black Petrel

  • 14 x Buller's Shearwater

  • 125 x Fluttering Shearwater

  • 70 x Little Shearwater

  • 2 x Flesh-footed Shearwater

  • 1 x Sooty Shearwater

  • 3 x New Zealand Storm Petrel

  • 465 x Common Diving Petrel

  • 3 x Little Blue Penguin

  • 580 x Australasian Gannet

  • 6 x Grey Ternlet

  • 1 x Caspian Tern

  • 2 x White-fronted Tern

  • 1,300 x Red-billed Gull

  • 5 x Black-backed Gull

  • 46 x Pied Shag

  • 1 x Little Black Shag

  • 1 x Welcome Swallow (out 40km offshore)

Other marine life included:

  • 1 x Marlin (leaping out of the water)

  • 19 x NZ Fur Seal

Scott Brooks
Next

29 Mar 2025