Sailing north from Antarctica to New Zealand, our final port of call was Campbell Island, the second largest of New Zealand’s sub Antarctic Islands and the most southerly. Like many of these islands, it is the remnant of 6-11 million year old volcano. The birds and...
Sub Antarctic Islands
Southern Elephant Seals – Macquarie Island – Antarctica 2018
Sailing south from The Auckland Islands we were heading to one of the jewels of the Subantarctic Islands: Macquarie Island. Australia’s Macquarie Island is home to a wealth of wildlife which is now flourishing since the eradication of introduced species like rabbits,...
King and Royal Penguins – Macquarie Island, Antarctica 2018
Sailing south from The Auckland Islands we were heading to one of the jewels of the Subantarctic Islands: Macquarie Island. Australia’s Macquarie Island is home to a wealth of wildlife which is now flourishing since the eradication of induced species like rabbits,...
Royal Penguins – Macquarie Island, Antarctica 2018
Sailing south from The Auckland Islands we were heading to one of the jewels of the Sub Antarctic Islands: Macquarie Island. Australia’s Macquarie Island is home to a wealth of wildlife which is now flourishing since the eradication of induced species like rabbits,...
Skuas of Enderby Island – New Zealand 2018
We had sailed from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island heading towards the Subantarctic Islands. Enderby Island is one of the northerly islands of the Auckland Islands. This archipelago was formed from two volcanoes and the remains of the calderas...
Hooker Sea Lions – Enderby Island, New Zealand 2018
We had sailed from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island heading towards the Subantarctic Islands. Enderby Island is one of the northerly islands of the Auckland Islands. This archipelago was formed from two volcanoes and the remains of the calderas...
Yellow-eyed Penguins – Enderby Island, New Zealand 2018
We had sailed from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island heading towards the Sub Antarctic Islands. Enderby Island is one of the northerly islands of the Auckland Islands. This archipelago was formed from two volcanoes and the remains of the calderas...
Gibson’s Albatross – New Zealand 2018
Gibson’s Albatross weigh up to 11kg and a wing span approaching 3m. There is a huge scientific debate about the genetic relationships between all the Great Albatrosses. In any case they are very difficult to identify!!
Southern Royal Albatross – New Zealand 2018
These birds have a wig span of 3-3.5m and weigh in at a impressive 6-10kg. They stand 1-1.2m tall. Whilst Enderby Island has a small breeding population, it is Campbell Island that has the majority of breeding pairs: perhaps up to 8600 pairs. They form life-long pair...
Cape Petrel – Antarctica 2018
This unmistakable, pigeon sized bird has distinctive markings. A very manoeuvrable flyer has stiff and shallow wing beats followed by short glides. They are well known to follow ships.
White-capped Albatross – New Zealand 2018
The vast majority of these birds breed on the Auckland Islands but they will disperse into the Southern Ocean towards the west coast of South America. They are easily confused with the Shy Albatross and young Savin’s Albatross. It ahs a wing span of 2.2-2.5m and...
Campbell Albatross – New Zealand 2018
One of the small albatrosses, breeding is mostly restricted to Campbell Island but they disperse widely in the non-breeding season. They have a wing span of around 2m and weigh in at up to 3.8kg. They are very similar to the Black-browed Albatross. Remarkably little...
Salvin’s Albatross – Auckland Islands, New Zealand 2018
Salvin’s Albatross are medium-sized albatross. They weigh in at 3.3-4.4 kg and have a wing span of about 2.5m.
Northern Giant Petrels – New Zealand 2018
With a weight of up to 5kg and a wingspan of 1.5-2m Northern Giant Petrels are albatross-sized birds. They can be either predators or scavengers. This bird can be solitary of found in small groups. It is monogamous and forms longterm pair-bonds