Friday, April 28, 2017

Bremer Canyon Killer Whale Expedition Report - 9 April 2017

Summary: The Bremer Canyon Killer Whale Expeditions are run by Naturaliste Charters from late January until mid-April from Bremer Bay. While the focus of the trip is whales and the boat does not stop to chum, it is a useful boat to look for seabirds. It was a great day out with very calm conditions. We started off seeing Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Flesh-footed Shearwater and Little Shearwater. We continued on to the Bremer Canyon where we immediately saw a Great-winged Petrel and Wilson’s Storm-Petrel but the main species seen was always Flesh-footed Shearwater. The highlight of the trip was at least 5 Black-bellied Storm-Petrel and fantastic views of Sperm Whales. Other good sightings included distant views of two Wandering Albatross, at least 25 Shy Albatross and a minimum of 10 Soft-plumaged Petrels. A Black-faced Cormorant in the Fishing Jetty area was a surprise.

Flesh-footed Shearwater at Bremer Bay (Photo: Robyn Pickering)