Sea Bird Pelagic Tour
These photos were taken whilst on the SOSSA Seabird pelagic tour. The tour leaves from Wollongong NSW each month and heads 20 nautical miles out to the continental shelf. The Southern Ocean Seabird Study Association (SOSSA) Pelagic Tours main interest is sea bird research.
As we left the land behind, the Silver Gulls gradually dropped back and very soon we were being followed by Short-tailed and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. After a number of miles we excitedly spotted our first albatross, and then a small group of Black-browed Albatross and the large Shy Albatross arrived. The Albatrosses were spectacular. They used their large feet to skim across the water and land on the breaking waves, then they would eat anything floating on the surface of the water.
All sea birds are under threat of extinction for a variety of reasons. One reason is that there is so much plastic floating around in the ocean. This is how the albatross is getting itself into trouble in the wild. Their main diet of floating jelly fish looks the same as a piece of floating plastic to the Albatross and it all goes down the hatch in one gulp. If you wish to learn more there are many photos circulating on the internet that show an entire beach of Albatross chicks lying dead with only their skeletons remaining. Their entire stomach contents were still intact and comprised entirely of plastic.
Below is a list of the birds sighted: |
compiled by Melanie Barsony |
Silver Gull |
Kelp Gull |
Pelican |
Pomarine Jaeger |
Galah (!) |
Shy Albatross |
Short-tailed shearwater |
Hutton Shearwater |
Wedge-tailed shearwater |
Grey-faced Petrel |
Crested Tern |
Fluttering Shearwater |
Australasian Gannett |
Grey-faced Petrel |
Flesh-footed Shearwater |
Wilsons Storm Petrel |
Black-browed Albatross |
Atlantic Tern |
|
SOSSA have been studying sea birds on the southern ocean for 15 years and have reported a steady decline in almost all species of seabirds. The only birds that seem to be doing well are the garbage eaters that have adapted to human occupation, such as the Silver Gulls and closer to land the Ibis, feral pigeons and Indian Mynas. The greatest threat to the birds of the sea is pollution, plastic waste and overfishing. The albatross are being pushed to extinction by long line tuna fishing. We can all do our part to help by not rubbishing our environment and thinking twice before we support the factory fish industry by buying supermarket fish products and over-packaged goods.
After nine hours we finally returned to shore and although exhausted we were thrilled by our experience. I recommend this trip to all who love birds and our fragile ocean environment.
|
