It was mid-June, meaning the middle of winter and a mere week before the shortest day of the year. At this time of year the waters just off the Western Cape coast are brimming with seabirds and trawlers are followed by thousands of hungry birds squabbling over discards from the boats. The usual culprits including Subantarctic Skuas hitching a ride on the boat, as well as the beautiful ‘mollies’ are present in good numbers but it is the return of thousands of the strikingly beautiful Pintado Petrels that make this time of the year special. Added is the possibility of seeing a real mega rarity which makes the winter season super exciting from a birding perspective. I also noticed the disappearance of Great Shearwaters on cue with the arrival of the petrels. Another winter bird to be seen was the agile Antarctic Prion weaving and darting above the waves.
Below: Beautiful sunset typical of the great weather experienced on this particular trip
This trip again took me up the West Coast even further north than Saldanha Bay. Unfortunately this would mean that my wait to see some of the giant albatrosses as well as any rarities would have to wait until the next trip. This is due in large part to the fact that these albatrosses are only seen with any regularity south of Cape Town. However, I was to be spoilt by unbelievable numbers of gannets following our boat at times. Having grown up in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province where the annual sardine run makes it appearance at this time of year I have had the privilege of seeing many gannets but nothing to match the noise level and chaos that ensued when discarding started. Gannets were diving into the water all over the place and seemed to eat more than their own body weight in fish every day. This beautiful bird is another species struggling to hold on as it continues to decline for a number of reasons that include disturbance on some of the key breeding islands by seals. It was thus encouraging to see so many of these birds but again what struck me was the very low number of young birds present. Hopefully this is not indicative of low breeding success over the past few years.
Below: The last trawl produced a massive catch of mostly hake
I continue to be amazed by the quantity of fish that these trawlers haul up from our oceans. This particular trip produced very successful fishing as we returned to harbour after just more than 5 days of fishing when trips in recent times have averaged 7 to 8 days. Trips never go by without a highlight or two. One was certainly the conversation I had with a crew member who spoke openly about his experiences on longline vessels in the Southern Ocean and how he found the Snow Petrel to be a stunning bird. His knowledge of the species of birds around the vessel was encouraging to see. The other highlight was the amazing, but brief, sighting of a white morph Southern Giant Petrel, an extraordinary bird. I look forward to my next trip, and maybe just maybe a giant albatross or two…
Below: Birds following the boat at sunset