Not much to say about this pelagic, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.  Before we left for our pelagic I finally got to see and touch my first little Brown Kiwi.

Let the pelagic begin.

Here’s one I’m not sure about but looks good for this species….

 

Cape Petrel

Here are two I can’t make up my mind which species they are, looks good for both.

Salvin’s Albatross

More Salvin’s Albatross

Antipodean Albatross

Another that looks good for Antipodean Albatross

Spotted Cormorant

Little Pied Shag

From start to finish it was only 3 hours but with all the action it seemed like 10 minutes.  We were less than 2 miles from shore, drifting, bird were everywhere.

Kaikoura Albatross Encounters a name to remember if you are on the south island of New Zealand.  I knw I’ll be back there some day.

Zoe found an interesting side trip, just north or Kaikoura is the Ohau Stream Walkway and Waterfall in Half Moon Bay.  During the winter months fur seal pups can be seen on the rocks along the path and frolicking in the pool below the waterfall.  Another must see.

The coastline was lovely here, wished it had been sunnier.

Adult New Zealand Fur Seal doing what they do best, relaxing.

While we stopped for a snack we found numerous birds on the beach.  New Zealand crayfish (lobsters without claws) were $80 dollars per 1/2 pound.

Variable Oystercatcher

Pied Cormorant

Red-billed Gull

Black-billed Gull

Later we returned to Kaikoura and head to a spot where we’d hoped Little Blue Penguin’s would come in to roost.  No luck.  We did see plenty of Kelp Gulls though and a lovely sunset.

The view from our hotel the next morning.

Ciao for now