Stewart Island Pelagic Trips

Birding Trips Available 2011 - 12 Season

27th January 2012 12pm - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

31st January 2012 12pm - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

6th February 2012 - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

9th February 2012 8.30a.m - 12.30pm Half day pelagic

14th February 2012 12pm - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

23rd February 2012  12pm - 4.30pm   Half day pelagic

28th February 2012 12pm - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

6th March 2012 12pm - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

16th March 2012 12 - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

3rd April 2012 12 - 4.30pm Half day pelagic

we offer a pick-up from Ulva Island on the majority of our tours so you can spend the morning at Ulva Island before joining our pelagic cruise. If you would like to book on our Birding Bonanza which includes Kiwi spotting, a guided walk on Ulva Island plus the pelagic cruise please email info@ulva.co.nz

Contact us if you have another date in mind.

Half day Pelagic Birding Trip

From Halfmoon Bay we cruise out around the muttonbird islands to the east of Stewart Island then head to Wreck Reef where the convergent tides provide a wonderful feeding ground for a variety of pelagic birds. We can then drop you off at Ulva Island to spend the afternoon at this amazing bird sanctuary returning by water taxi or you can come back into Halfmoon Bay on the Aurora. $120pp

Full day Pelagic Birding Trip

For a truly wonderful experience we offer group trips to the South Cape of Stewart Island, a place not visited by many people. On the way we cruise past the Traps and you may see Mottled petrels, Antarctic terns, Royal albatross and other uncommon birds. Check availability of trips above or contact us if you have a particular date in mind and we will try and put a trip together. $280pp

Birding Bonanza

Our Birding Bonanza is an extremely popular custom designed full day birding package! Together with Ulva's Guided Walks we offer a half day on Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary for forest birds, then a half day on the Aurora, viewing abundant pelagic seabirds and wildlife around the coastline of Stewart Island. Check above for Birding Bonanza trip calendars or on www.ulva.co.nz Full photographic sightings can be checked out on www.mattjoneswildlifeimages.com.

Stewart Island Bird List

Species seen on our recent pelagic trips.

Species	14-Dec	17-Dec	22-Dec	30-Dec	9-Jan	11-Jan	28-Jan	15-Feb	21-Mar	7-Apr
Little pied shag
Pied shag	x	x			x		x			x
Spotted shag	x	x	x	x	x		x			x
Stewart Island shag	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Black-backed gull	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Red billed gull	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Fiordland crested penguin									x
Little blue penguin	x	x	x	x		x	x	x	x	x
Yellow eyed penguin		x		x	x	x		x
Bullers shearwater		x	x
Huttons shearwater
Great shearwater										x
Short tailed shearwater
Sooty shearwater	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Subantarctic little shearwater										x
Black fronted tern							x	x	x	x
White fronted tern	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Antarctic tern
Arctic tern
Brown skua	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Black browed allbatross					x
Bullers albatross		x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Campbell Island albatross
Chatham Island albatross
Gibsons albatross
Northern royal albatross	x	x
Salvins albatross	x	x	x		x	x	x	x	x	x
Southern royal albatross	x	x	x		x		x		x	x
Wandering albatross			x
White capped albatross	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Cape petrel	x	x	x	x	x	x	x			x
Cooks petrel	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x		x
Diving petrel	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x		x
Giant petrel - southern	x	x
Grey backed storm petrel			x
Mottled petrel		x		x	x
Northern giant petrel	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Westland petrel
White chinned petrel	x	x		x	x			x
White headed petrel										x
White naped petrel								x
Broad-billed prion		x
Fairy prion	x	x		x	x			x
Salvins prion
Australasian gannet		x	x	x	x					x
Godwit - bar tailed							x	x
Kingfisher
White heron								x
White faced heron								x
NZ Dotterel							x	x	x	x
Pied oyster catcher	x	x	x				x	x	x	x
Variable oyster catcher			x
NZ Sealion	x						x	x
NZ fur seal	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x		x

Please note that all our trips are weather permitting and also dependent on minimum numbers.