9-10 Nov 2025
THE PETREL STATION 2 DAY TOUR REPORT
2 DAYS -> 107,500 SEABIRDS! -> 30 SPECIES
We just completed 2 brilliant seabird tour days in a row out at The Petrel Station, offshore from Tutukaka (in Northland, New Zealand).
Highlights of the tours were:
2 x GOULD'S PETREL (Epic sighting for New Zealand!)
6 x Mottled Petrel
Huge numbers of Buller's Shearwater on each day
We recorded our 5,000,000th seabird sighting :)
Over the 2 days we recorded just short over 107,500 stunning seabirds, and 30 seabird species (see the full species list below). Conditions over the 2 days were mostly fine or overcast, with variable 2-15 knot winds and a 1m swell.
During the 2 days we also logged our 5,000,000th seabird sighting (give or take a few 😉) out at The Petrel Station! It’s a milestone we’re pretty stoked about — made possible due to the incredible seabird activity in the area we operate, which happens to be one of New Zealand’s (and the world’s) most important seabird breeding regions. All these records contribute to The Petrel Station’s growing at-sea seabird sightings research project.
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 Northern Royal Albatross
2 x Campbell Albatross
2 x White-capped Albatross
1 x Northern Giant Petrel
27,750 x Fairy Prion
2 x GOULD'S PETREL
6 x Mottled Petrel
295 x Cook's Petrel
9 x Pycroft's Petrel
3 x Grey-faced Petrel
21 x Black Petrel
68,750 x Buller's Shearwater
2,175 x Fluttering Shearwater
67 x Little Shearwater
125 x Flesh-footed Shearwater
9 x Sooty Shearwater
4 x Short-tailed Shearwater
85 x White-faced Storm Petrel
6 x New Zealand Storm Petrel
2 x Wilson's Storm Petrel
2,000 x Common Diving Petrel
16 x Little Blue Penguin
1 x Arctic Skua
4,350 x Australasian Gannet
8 x White-fronted Tern
1,800 x Red-billed Gull
7 x Black-backed Gull
170 x Pied Shag
2 x Little Pied Shag
2 x Little Black Shag
Other marine life encountered:
2 x Whale sp.
2 x Mako Shark
1 x Sunfish
3 x NZ Fur Seal
1 x Flying Fish