16 Mar 2021

Ship Cruising The Snares with Bounty Island Shags

First appearing like a ghost ship out of the mist with tattered white sails trailing, closer inspection revealed Molly Cap, a granite rock in the East Group of the Snares Islands, its 'sails' sheets of sea-spray exploding across cliffs and caves. The sea was a turmoil of contradictory swells, with little rafts of Bounty Shag and Salvin's Albatross appearing and disappearing between the troughs.

Captain Max made a circumnavigation as close to the islands as the many areas of uncharted waters allowed: Lion, Ruatara, Ranfurly, Spider, Funnel, Penguin and Depot. We could see the outline of seals on the highest ridges, surrounded by halos of circling albatross, while further down groups of shags and penguins rested on ledges and seal pups cavorted near the water. A handful of Bounty Island Shags flew over to Spirit of Enderby to peer into the Bridge. They are not only one of the rarest shags in the world (about 600 pairs), but surely also the most curious.

With a Zodiac cruise not meant to be, we set sail for The Pyramid at lunch time.

Image from file © A.Given, Heritage Expeditions