31 Dec 2019

Exploring Campbell Island

After 36 hours of comfortable sailing from Macquarie Island with light winds and a following sea, Spirit of Enderby pulled in at Perseverance Harbour on Campbell Island early this morning.

Seventeen of our number took to the hills for the energetic North West Bay Circuit; the remainder taking a wildlife Zodiac cruise around the harbour. From when we left the ship in the inner harbour until we reached the open sea, the variety and wildlife encounters never let up.

A colony of Hooker's/New Zealand Sea Lions were discovered lying among the tussocks with new-born pups, two of which had rolled down the bank and were mewling for their mothers from the rocky shoreline. Out on the water White-fronted Terns dipped for fish, others nested on cushion plants above the surge line; a raft of Campbell Island Shags bobbed about in the open harbour; a pair of Light-mantled Sooty Albatross flew in unison, and another tried five times to land on her nest among the shrubbery 15 metres above the water, each time aborting the attempt at the last moment due to turbulence, but finally touching down on her sixth try.

A curious female sea lion provided excellent views as swam upside down under, and behind, our Zodiac in the crystal clear water, checking out our boat and its occupants. Out near the heads, New Zealand Fur Seals were observed resting on giant boulders watching us go by, while nearby, some large hexagonal basalt columns had tumbled down from the cliffs above and lay across each other in a rock pool, looking like Roman ruins. Over the open sea, Southern Royal Albatross and Cape Petrel soared and dipped across the waves, taking advantage of the rising westerly wind.

By the time we crossed the harbour and returned to our trusty ship, the wind was starting to pick up, making us glad to get back on board for a hot drink and tasty lunch before heading up the Col Lyall boardwalk for the afternoon to observe nesting Southern Royal Albatross among flowering megaherbs - what a great way to see out 2019!

Image from file © A.Chavanne, Heritage Expeditions