24 Feb 2021

Exploring the Chatham Islands

After two days of exploring the main Chatham Island, we left Waitangi with Spirit of Enderby sailing south to The Horns, a rock formation at the southern tip of Chatham Island. Our arrival was perfectly timed with sunset, and we enjoyed watching Buller Albatross circling the ship in the soft evening light.

The following morning we made our way east to the island group The Forty-Fours. Being even further east than Chatham or Pitt Island we were the first in the world to see the sunrise, because the dateline makes a funny wiggle around the Chatham Islands. Zodiac cruising these impressive outcrops on the sheltered side we discovered a rock arch through which we could watch the waves on the other side. Every so often blowholes to the right and left of the arch would send clouds of spray in the direction of the Zodiacs. By the end of it, we were all covered with salt spray as Buller and Northern Royal Albatross wheeled in the sky above.

Our last outing for the day was a Zodiac cruise at Mangere Island, which is close to Pitt Island. Here we looked for the Chatham Island Black Robin (without success) and the Forbes' Parakeet (with success). They are both very rare birds and live only in the small patch of forest under the vertical cliffs of Mangere Island. Our Zodiac cruise took us past sea caves, collapsed arches and steep cliff faces and was topped by spotting two Little Blue Penguins which popped up between the Zodiacs.

Image © K.Riedel, Heritage Expeditions