25 Jan 2022

Brilliant First Outing at The Snares

As Spirit of Enderby drew near the Snares in the grey of dawn, both the sea and sky around these wild and remote Subantarctic Islands were full of Titi, Diving Petrel, Snares Petrel, and Buller's Albatross. Little white dots signifying Snares Crested Penguins clambered up the rocks to their nests high above in the tree daisy forest.

After anchoring off Mollymawk Bay on the lower east coast of North East Island we headed south, by Zodiac, to Broughton Island passing a lone New Zealand Fur seal spiralling slowly in the swell. Dozens of Snares Crested Penguins made their way toward a long granite ramp up the south flank of Broughton Island, where others were clambering up and down. We went in to take a closer look to observe penguins torpedoing out of the water, shaking themselves and looking around. Some clearly didn't like the penguin they landed next to and bickered or pecked each other. However, the majority minded their own business, hopping up the rocky slope on their large pink feet with strong black claws.

As we crossed the channel between Broughton and North East Island rafts of Snares Petrels surrounded us, taking advantage of the churning waters to feed on upwelling invertebrates. On North East Island we nosed in and out of rocky inlets and caves fringed by long floating strands of leathery bull kelp (D'urvillea antarctica) sweeping in and out with the swell like long golden ribbons. We continued northward under sheer granite which had been weathered into spectacular sculptural forms before entering a sea cave, emerging 20 metres later into the idyllic calm of Boat Harbour where a Snares Fernbird foraged under a fringing hebe and Snares Tomtits called elusively.

Around the corner scores of Snares Crested Penguins loafed above the kelp; others hopping down from the forest to head back to sea, hesitant to jump in while a Hooker's Sea Lion patrolled the shoreline. A big group rafted and preened themselves off-shore before diving and dashing shoreward, erupting airborne through the kelp to land on the rocks above.

Around the point the massive light grey form of a male Elephant Seal drifted in and out with the swell, watching us closely with huge black eyes. After observing the comings and goings at the huge penguin ramp (the Penguin Slide) near the northern tip of the island, we returned to ship, the horizon a lively calligraphy of low-flying Titi.

As Spirit of Enderby departed for the Auckland Islands, Captain Aleksandr took us close in to the dramatic west coast of Broughton Island, North East Island, past the treacherous Vancouver Rock and five rocky islets of the Western Chain. A brilliant start to our Galapagos of the Southern Ocean voyage!

Image from file © K.Riedel, Heritage Expeditions