Pelagic Trip #33 off Port MacDonnell South Australia 8th November 2009

[mariner]

Pelagic day trips from Port MacDonnell are run monthly between
September and May by the South Australian Ornithological Association
on a non-profit basis.

Boat : 'Remarkable' 16 metres, cray fishing and charter.

Personnel : Mark Moody(Skipper), Jamie Moody(Mate) plus 12 birders.

Synoptic Situation : A large blocking High of 1037 hPa was centred in
the Tasman Sea.

Weather : Cloudless, Wind calm to 5 knots ENE to NE.

Sea : Rippled to calm sea with 1.5 metre SSW swell. Sea Temp. 14 C.

Route: Sailed at 0600 and headed south to 'hotspot' at 38.4S 140.6E
water depth 750 metres, then south again
to 38.5S 140.6E depth 1100 metres.Maximum distance offshore
45 km. Returned to port at 1430.

Inshore water depth to 200 metres

Shy Albatross 15
Short-tailed Shearwater 50
Fluttering Shearwater 20
Australasian Gannet 20
Northern Giant Petrel 1

Over Shelf edge water depth 200 - 1100 metres

Shy Albatross 400
Black-browed Albatross 3 Adult, 5 Immature all nominate race.
Yellow-nosed Albatross 3 Immature
Northern Giant Petrel 5
Great-winged Petrel 1 nominate race, 14 gouldi
White-chinned Petrel 10
Fairy Prion 20
Prion Sp. 1
Sooty Shearwater 1
Short-tailed Shearwater 300
Wilson's Storm-petrel 20
Australasian Gannet 5
Crested Tern 40

Cetaceans : One pod of 30 Long-finned Pilot Whales Globicephala melas

Notes : The lowest species diversity of any trip apart from one made
in thick fog in 2004. The albatrosses were mostly settled on the sea
due to calm or light winds. All the birds seemed to be well fed and
did not show normal interest in the berley. Highlight of the trip was
the close approach of the LF Pilot Whales some of which passed under
our drifting boat. The trip was organised by Colin Rogers with Stuart
Hull as recorder and chief berleyman.

Neil Cheshire
Encounter Bay,
South Australia.