Chasing Whales

Blogger: Forest & Bird’s Marine Advocate, Karen Baird  

Ahoy thereI I am coming to you from the rollicking, rolling hull of the SV FalconGT.  

Karen at the helm

This whole typing business is a one handed affair because I need the other hand to clutch the table while gripping the side of the seat with my thigh!

We are on our fourth day at sea and we’re just short of Raoul island – the Kermadec’s largest and northernmost island. 

On Monday we were blown from the mainland and quickly found ourselves flanked by a cavalcade of 12-15 commons dolphins – a cracking good omen.

Later avian chaperones saw us on our way – white fronted and Caspian terns wheeled overhead, grey-faced petrel skittered past and even an albatross swooped in to pay us a visit.

This yellow-billed, grey-headed bird had all the markings of a Chatham Island albatross – a bird that is in serious decline (population = 6000), so this is a rare, if what unexpected treat.

During the trip we have dunked our hydrophone into the water to check for whale’s mooing but it has just been picking up dolphin chatter.

Personally, I’m looking forward to spotting our first tropical species – possibly a wedge-tailed shearwater tomorrow….

So far there’s been no sign of whales but the team on Raoul island has reported seeing humpback whales regularly over the last week or two, so I’m also hoping a mighty wind will kindly blow us into their path….

To see Karen’s previous blog, go here

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