29 Nov - 1 Dec 2025
THE PETREL STATION 3 DAY TOUR REPORT
3 DAYS —> 295,000 SEABIRDS! —> 29 SPECIES
We just completed 3 outstanding seabird tour days in a row out at The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
Highlights of the tours were:
A Wedge-tailed Shearwater (scarce in New Zealand)
Huge numbers of Buller's Shearwater and Fairy Prion on each day
Big numbers of Cooks Petrels
6 Bryde’s Whales and pods of Dolphins
Over the 3 days we recorded just over of 295,000 stunning seabirds, and 29 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions over the 3 days were fine/overcast, with variable 3-15 knot winds and a 1-1.5m 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:
1 x NZ Wandering Albatross (ssp. Gibson's)
14 x White-capped Albatross
98,000 x Fairy Prion
545 x Cook’s Petrel
11 x Pycroft’s Petrel
1 x Black-winged Petrel
5 x Grey-faced Petrel
57 x Black Petrel
182,500 x Buller’s Shearwater
356 x Fluttering Shearwater
1 x Hutton's Shearwater
7 x Little Shearwater
80 x Flesh-footed Shearwater
1 x Wedge-tailed Shearwater
8 x Sooty Shearwater
33 x Short-tailed Shearwater
134 x White-faced Storm Petrel
30 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
2 x Wilson's Storm Petrel
1,050 x Common Diving Petrel
2 x Little Blue Penguin
13 x Grey Noddy
9,750 x Australasian Gannet
2 x White-fronted Tern
2,250 x Red-billed Gull
7 x Black-backed Gull
229 x Pied Shag
1 x Black Shag
2 x Little Black Shag
Other marine life encountered:
6 x Bryde’s Whale
1 x Whale sp.
100+ Common Dolphin
10 x Bottlenosed Dolphin
1 x Sunfish
2 x Flying Fish
1 x NZ Fur Seal