
From time to time, I run pelagic trips out of Durban harbour. Details of the dates can be found on www.niall.co.za – click on the BirdLife SA logo on the right.
Cost: R1750 per person (This could need revision once we find out how COVID restrictions may affect numbers of guests on the boat)
Duration: We depart at first light and return approximately 8 hours later
When to go: I often get asked this question – there is no easy answer, basically you need to decide what species you’d like to see, or whether you just want the experience of being out there. Summer months are generally quieter number wise, mainly due to the majority of the pelagic species going to their breeding islands in summer, and moving north as the icy grip of winter takes hold on these southern islands. An exception to this is Great-winged Petrel, our population breed on Marion Island (roll on Flock 2022!!), and spend their summer mainly up the east coast, making Durban pelagics in spring through to autumn the best place to see these dynamic little Pterodroma (also known as gadlfy) petrels.
We head south east of Durban, getting to a channel of deeper water, where upwelling of the current brings nutrients closer to the surface, hence a higher number of pelagic birds foraging. We supplement this with buckets of frozen chum that we put into the water when we reach this area. The pungent smell carries on the wind and the birds follow the smell into our chum slick, which develops around the boat. Pelagic birds as a group are called tubenoses – with good reason, as their large nostrils are adapted to finding their food by sense of smell.
Species expected off Durban:
Common species include:
Cape Gannet (especially winter)
Albatrosses:
Black-browed Albatross (usually a few encountered on winter trips, mostly immature birds)
Shy Albatross (usually a few encountered on winter trips, mostly immature birds)
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross – one of the most common species along with White-chinned Petrel, numbers increase in winter, with more adults encountered then as well
Petrels & shearwaters:
Southern & Northern Giant Petrel – both have been encountered, they are still uncommon off the east coast, our eyes are always peeled for these large hump-backed petrels
Antarctic Prion – can be common in winter, our winter trips normally produce some of these attractive little birds
Great-winged Petrel – as mentioned this is a fairly common species in summer
Soft-plumaged Petrel – these petrels are normally encountered in late autumn and spring, they prefer deeper water
Barau’s Petrel – one of the specials of Durban pelagics, a strikingly plumaged petrel which only breeds on Reunion Island – they do a pre and post breeding visit to our waters, a large elliptical loop, just reaching the deeper waters offshore. Best months to have a chance at this rare bird are October and November.
Grey Petrel – a rarity in Southern African waters, we have started to have them appearing more regularly on early summer pelagics
White-chinned Petrel – along with Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross this is one of the most common species encountered. A large brown petrel with a pale creamy bill, fairly easily identified
Sooty Shearwater – a small shearwater with silvery underwings – they often come careening into the chum slick, making sure to keep clear of the larger albatrosses and petrels
Flesh-footed Shearwater – another special of the east coast, being far more regular off Durban than in the colder Cape waters. Their numbers are highest in winter, some years appearing in hundreds, others limited to a few birds. The do however seem to occur in most months
Storm Petrels:
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – the most common of the species encountered, mainly in winter, but coincide with European Storm Petrel in autumn and spring
European Storm Petrel – visit from the northern hemisphere in our spring through to autumn (when most common)
Terns:
Common Tern – common in summer months, but present year round
Arctic Tern – small numbers are encountered, also more reliable in summer but possible year round
Skuas and jaegers:
Brown (Subantarctic) Skua – fairly common in winter
Parasitic Jaeger – regular in summer
Rarities:

Of course being “out there” is the best way to pick up rarities. The following are species that have been recorded off Durban:
Red-footed Booby – summer records
Brown Booby – old summer records
Wandering Albatross – lately we’ve had two records in spring
Grey-headed Albatross – old records when the whaling station was operational
Sooty Albatross – one of our most exciting records, a young bird in June
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross – we have started to pick up adults more recently, sporadic records
Cape (Pintado) Petrel – an uncommon winter visitor, occasionally venturing into the chum slick
Slender-billed Prion – good views are needed of prions to ID them, we’ve had a few of these in amongst groups of Antarctic Prions
Tahiti Petrel – another very exciting record, a first confirmed record for Southern Africa, seen in November 2018
Cory’s Shearwater – uncommon in summer
Great Shearwater – uncommon in summer
Tropical Shearwater – visiting from islands off northern Mozambique, we’ve encountered this a few times in early summer
White-faced Storm Petrel – a striking little storm petrel, records are from May and June
Black-bellied Storm Petrel – a fairly regular passage migrant, mostly seen in Spring
Leach’s Storm Petrel – older records exist of this uncommon northern hemisphere species
Sabine’s Gull – we’ve had summer records of this striking gull
Sooty Tern – some years produce good numbers, more common in summer but possible year round
South Polar Skua – older winter records exist
Long-tailed Jaeger – we have had summer records, some as late as May, in full breeding plumage
Pomarine Jaeger – older summer records exist
A link to the full list of species encountered to date is here: http://www.niall.co.za/pelagic/Species-occurrence.pdf
A gallery of photos taken on Durban pelagics is at http://bustardsbirding.co.za/durban-pelagic-birds/
Contact me (Niall Perrins) on niall@bustardsbirding.co.za for further information.
I can't wait to get out again ! Will be waiting with expectation
Well it looks like 5th September will be on, weather permitting! Drop me an email on niall@bustardsbirding.co.za if you are interested.
5th September is also the day of the virtual Birding Fair run by BirdLife South Africa!
A few of us had a great Pelagic with Niall on the 18 October 2020. Species list for the day was as follows:
12 Greater Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
8 Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
2 Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Skuas (Stercorariidae) - 1 / 7
1 Brown Skua
Stercorarius antarcticus
Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) - 2 / 21
1 (perhaps 2) Shy Albatross
Thalassarche cauta
40 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross – EN
Thalassarche carteri
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels (Procellariidae) - 4 / 100
25 Great-winged Petrel
Pterodroma macroptera
1 Barau's Petrel - EN
Pterodroma baraui
30 White-chinned Petrel - VU
Procellaria aequinoctialis
1 Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna grisea