24 Dec 2019
Wildlife Encounters at The Snares
Arriving at The Snares in the early hours, expeditioners aboard Spirit of Enderby enjoyed a successful start to our 'Galapagos of the Southern Ocean' voyage with a brilliant Zodiac cruise of these wildlife-rich remote islands.
Home to abundant pelagic birdlife, we observed the first Buller's Albatross nesting for the season and groups out on the water socialising, while large numbers of Sooty Shearwaters were rafting and flocking around North East Island. Making our way to Boat Harbour we watched a pair of Snares Fernbirds twisting tussock stalks into a nest just above the intertidal zone, overlooked by a sleepy New Zealand Fur Seal.
Exploring the rugged shorelines of North East Island we spotted Tomtits and heard a pair of The Snares Island Snipe calling nearby, however, watching the antics of the Snares Crested Penguins was the highlight as these animated birds entertained us by rafting around our Zodiacs, preening, porpoising, bickering, courting and marching to and from their nests high in the Tree Daisy forest. Back on board our trusty expedition vessel all agreed it was a wonderful Christmas Eve far from the madding crowd as we set sail for the Auckland Islands.
Image from file © A.Breniere, Heritage Expeditions
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