Pelagic Birding in Cape Town, what a phenomenal birding experience and a whole lot more.
Looking for something different to experience when you are in Cape Town, consider taking a Pelagic trip into the Southern Ocean to witness our prolific Sea Birds, and enjoy the majestic flight of the Albatross. We joined Pelagic birding in Cape Town with Zest for Birds on the 25 May 2022 run by Trevor Hardaker and Clifford Dorse (from Hout Bay) on what was a memorable day. Thanks to Hooked on Africa Fishing Charters and Garret Skead who assisted with some guiding duties.

(Cape Point with some warm sunshine allowing it to glow on this chilly day out in the deep, this was on our return run into Simons Town)

(Our second Sunfish on this Pelagic with the majestic Cape Peninsula coastline in the background. With crystal clear water and a majestic backdrop, this sunfish entertained us for a while)

(This is what Pelagic birding is all about, vast ocean waters, we were 40 miles off from Hout Bay)
Our second Pelagic departed from Simons Town with Cape Town Pelagics, managed by Dr Callan Cohen. This Pelagic was booked for 31 July 2022 in an attempt to find the Northern Royal Albatross. Guided by the very experienced Vincent Ward and our captain for the day was Allan Blacklaws.
A Cape Town Pelagic: it’s more than a birding experience, the outing will reveal our prolific and diverse sea bird splendour. It’s a unique opportunity to showcase the beauty and diversity of our coastline including our abundant marine ecology.

(My first Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatros and what a fine bird this was, distinguishable from the Indian Yellow Nosed Albatross by the Grey area around the eyes)

(Sunrise as we were running for the trawling grounds, we had a cloudy dramatic sky morning, this image was taken at about 25 miles out)

(A rare visitor to our Cape waters, the Spectacled Petrel, we managed to see four different birds on the day and a new lifer for me)
You will be exposed to the rugged and dramatic Cape peninsula, including our world-famous Cape Point, seen from False Bay and the Atlantic. This experience will showcase a rich diversity of cetaceans in our cold, nutrient-rich waters, Whales, Dolphins, Sunfish, Turtles, and a lot more.
Unfortunately, you will need a good pair of sea legs to savour this experience. You will be left spellbound and filled with a sensory overload of memories that will last a lifetime.

(Another very early start, heading out to sea from Simons Town and the sun just peeking out over the Hottentots Mountain range)

(Wandering Albatross, Great White-Back, this is a very nice mature bird due to the fact that it has so much white on the back)

(Glorious early morning hues, image taken in the Simons Town Harbour)
In preparation for our Flock to Marion 2022 voyage deep into the Southern Ocean, we felt it would be expedient to go on a local Cape Pelagic. This would be the perfect opportunity to learn how to identify some of our Sea Birds, being a first for us and also allowing for some in-flight photography.
Unfortunately due to a severe cold front, our trip was cancelled. As it was close to the end of the year no additional trips were planned and we did not get to venture into the deep waters off our coast. In hindsight, this was a blessing as we managed to learn so much about our Sea Birds on the flock to Marion 2022.

(My first Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatros and what a fine bird this was, we were very lucky to have a few birds nice and close to our vessel)

(Sun rise and more dramatic skies, the weather improved as we moved into the warmer waters 30 sea miles off the coast)

(A Logger Head Turtle pops its head out of the water for some much-needed air, this is my first Turtle and it was such a memorable experience)
By the time we eventually managed to get a spot on one for the Zest for Birds Pelagic out of Hout Bay with Trevor Hardaker and Cliff Dorse we were quite familiar with the birds and only required some assistance with some of the rare birds seen on the day. What was even more important is that we had a closer connection with Trevor and Cliff having spent several hours with them at their guiding stations on the Marion trip.

(Wandering Albatross, this is the largest flying bird in the world, 3,5m wingspan and capable of flying huge distances without flapping its wings, it makes use of dynamic soaring to cover long distances in search of food)

(Vincent Ward calling the Indian Yellow Nosed Albatross, the first of the day on this Pelagic)

(Light Morph Southern Giant Petrel, a very rare mutation amongst the Giant Petrels, this does not appear in the Northern Giant Petrels)
It’s important to understand that a Pelagic on a 30-foot craft is not in any way comparable to that of an MSC Cruise liner.
Firstly you need a great pair of sea legs to handle the more than two-hour run to the canyons. This is an area about 40 nautical miles off Hout Bay. This is the Trawling grounds for our mid-range trawlers, where the real Sea-Bird Pelagic action begins. These trawlers eventually pull up their nets at this is the proverbial dinner bell for all the birds that are waiting in anticipation.

(Finding a working trawler is very important when out on a Pelagic, thousands of birds gather as the vessel hauled in the nets to feast on the bycatch of small fish)

(Garret Skead joined this trip and assisted with some of the guiding duties)

(Another fine Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, were had the good fortune of having this one close to our vessel)
The nets are dragged across the ocean floor scouring and catching everything in their path. Due to the size of the net apertures, thousands of the smaller bycatch are lost as the net is compressed just before it is hauled onto the vessel. This is why we were here to witness an unimaginable spectacle. Thousands of Pelagic Sea Birds gorging on this shameful bycatch waste. Tones of dead fish floating on the surface and birds diving and scrapping for some of this bounty.

(A Humped Backed whale comes up for air and showed off its magnificent white tail fin, this was yet another first for me and such a pleasureful sight)

(Passing Cape Point with the warm early morning light, stunning and completely different perspective from this vantage point)

(We joined the thousand-strong pod of Long Beaked Common Dolphins, you just don’t get better. This must rank as one of the highlights for this Pelagic)
To be frank and honest it was a little overwhelming trying to focus on capturing an image of one bird when thousands are flying and diving in all directions. On this specific pelagic with the Zest for Birds team, we were spoiled for choice as we had about six trawlers working in one location.
Along the route, we also manage to see some exceptional sightings such as a Loggerhead Turtle which was our first, and a few docile Sunfish.

(This was our route on the day, forty miles from Hout Bay where we located six working trawlers and thousands of Pelagic Sea Birds)

(Great Shearwater, we managed to see good numbers of these birds, stunning plumage with effortless flying)

(A Shy Albatross gulping down one of the many dead fish that were on the surface after the trawling nets were lifted )

(These working trawlers are the main reason why we were in this area 40 sea miles from the coast, thousands of Pelagic birds follow these vessels and when the nets come up it’s like a dinner bell)
Heading back to Houtbay Harbour after a long day of capturing images of our remarkable Sea Birds, the mood was jovial and we had all experience something truly unforgettable. The proximity to the vast array of bird species as well as the sheer numbers is what will remain etched in our memories. Having waited more than a year for this pelagic voyage seemed so distant, but the encounter with our ocean-dwelling birds inspired us and wanted more.

(Have always wanted to experience the rugged cliffs of Cape Point from the sea, and we were not disappointed, images taken on our way back to Simons Town)

(The look on the face of this very excited Pelagic birder tells the whole story, pure joy would be an understatement)

We had the good fortune of finding this Light Morph Southern Giant Petrel, another fly-by moment.
Determined to see the Northern Royal Albatross which is a rare visitor to our waters, so in winter we booked another pelagic. We chose Cape Town Pelagic, and our guide of Choice was Vincent Ward, whom we had met on the Flock to Marion. Vincent was also a guide on this voyage and we promised that we would support their worthy cause in support of their Sea-Bird conservation efforts.
Departing from Simons Town and passing the world-famous Cape Point was such a huge highlight for me and how special it was. Hundreds of pelagic birds feed just off the point. We were after Albatross and so we power further and further for the coast looking for trawlers.

(We didn’t expect to see hundreds of Pelagic sea birds as we rounded the point, Cape Point Lighthouse, an explosion of colours for this sunrise and many birds)

(On our return we hit a wind-still patch of water and a few White Chinned Petrels were whizzing by)

( With this Jurassic Bill, it makes short work on any easy meal on offer, and in the water, you will notice it commands a lot of respect with most birds giving it a wide berth)
Wanting quality Pelagic-birds and not quantity we were not too phased by not finding a working trawler.
After some frantic radio work and scanning the horizon it was the hero of the day Vincent Ward who managed to locate the elusive trawling vessel.
This fishing vessel was between lifting its nets so the Birdlife was rather sparse. This change suited me as we could concentrate on finding something unique.

(Cape Pintado Petrels, they can be seen in huge numbers behind the trawlers picking up scraps, another new bird for the trip)

(A Shy Albatross watching us as he serches for some more food, larger than the Black Browed Albatross with a 2,5m wingspan)

(Great comparison between the Great Shearwater on the left and a Sooty Shearwater right)
We had the good fortune to add two fantastic White Backed Albatross to our life List. One was the Northern Royal Albatross, the bird caught us off guard and whizzed past without offering us a memorable sighting.
Not to be outdone we were treated to a very rare Southern Giant Petrel light morph. Other highlights were a pair of Humped-backed Whales who entertained us with lovely tail displays.

Vincent Ward still hard at work guiding and providing so much valuable information, he explains how the Bank Cormorants use the soft red seaweed to create their nests by building them up like “paper Masche”)

(The Partridge Point Bank Cormorant breeding colony, we had a few Cape Cormorants on the Rock as well)

(The rest of the crew hard at work capturing images of the mono-coloured Bank Cormorants)
Our skipper managed to direct our vessel right into a super large pod of Long-beaked Common Dolphins. This proved to be the highlight of the day, a thousand strong and moving at pace, the power and speed with agility were remarkable indeed.
A huge thanks to both Zest for Birds and Cape Town Pelagic for exposing us to this fantastic Pelagic Birdlife, we will be back soon to soak up some more of this positive energy.
A quick report back on the Zest for Birds pelagic trip that went out on Saturday…

(Very happy to get to see this unique Light Morph Southern Giant Petrel, confirmed to be a very rare sighting)

(Juvenile Black-browed Albatross looking as handsome as ever, not as common as the Shy Albatross but still good numbers around)

(Relived to finally get this Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, especially after missing this one on the Flock To Marion 2022)
Date: 21 May 2022
Departure point: Hout Bay
Conditions: We were lucky with the conditions again and had little to no wind and also fairly small seas, so it was a pretty comfortable day out at sea. Skies varied between clear and partly cloudy which made the light for photography tricky at times and the temperatures were mostly cool. Sea temperatures ranged from just over 12 deg C close to land to just under 20 deg C out in the deep.
Journey log: We headed out in a westerly direction from Hout Bay and reached our first trawler at about 35 nautical miles from Hout Bay and then followed the boats in a north-westerly direction for the rest of the day. At our furthest point, we were about 40 nautical miles from the closest land.

(The crew for the day, Guided by Trevor Hardaker front right and Cliff Dorse at the rear on the right-hand side)

(Black-browed Albatross taking flight, noticeably smaller than the Wandering Albatross)

(A Fascinating encounter, this is a Northern Giant Petrel(Redish bill tip, foreground) that was courting a Southern Giant Petrel(Green bill tip furthest away) Mixed species have been recorded breeding on both Marion and South Georgia Islands)
Other details: Cliff Dorse and I guided the trip again with Grant Scholtz as skipper. We were fortunate to visit 4 different working trawlers throughout the day and had large numbers of birds to enjoy around them. We arrived at the first trawler around 9 am and left the last trawler after 2 pm and got back to the harbour just before 4:00 pm.
Birds seen on the trip:
Shy Albatross
Black-browed Albatross
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross
Northern Giant Petrel
Southern Giant Petrel
White-chinned Petrel
Spectacled Petrel
Pintado Petrel
Wilson’s Storm Petrel
Sooty Shearwater
Cory’s Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Cape Gannet
White-breasted Cormorant
Cape Cormorant
Crowned Cormorant
Hartlaub’s Gull
Kelp Gull
Swift Tern
Subantarctic (Brown) Skua
Non-avian distractions on the trip:
Several Cape Fur Seals
Loggerhead Turtle
At least 4 Oceanic Sunfish
Species List – Cape Town Pelagics – Sunday, 31 July 2022

(The crew from the Cape Town Pelagic from Simons Town with Vincent Ward as our Guide)

(Wandering Albatros in full flight, is always a special moment to savour, perfection personified)

(The ultimate scavenger, Brown Skua very inquisitive bird and hanging close by hoping for some scraps)
Number of bird species: 24
The species list from the trip is below. The full trip report to follow and will be available to download from our website in a week or two. www.capetownpelagics.com
Wandering Albatross
Pelagics Species and approximate numbers:
Wandering Albatross – 1
Northern Royal Albatross – 1 Shy/White-capped Albatross – 200 Black-browed Albatross – 30 Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross – 3 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross – 5 Northern Giant Petrel – 6
Highlights included: Six species of albatrosses, including Wanderer and Northern Royal, white morph
Southern Giant Petrel, Cape (Pintado) Petrel, Soft-plumaged Petrel.
1

(Northern Giant Petrel coming in for a landing, similar in size to the average Albatross, but with lots more attitude)

(Spectacled Petrel, this a rare Pelagic Bird to our waters, breeding on the Tristan da Cunha Archipelago and specifically the Inaccessible Islands)

(A Juvenile Giant Petrel, like the Wandering Albatross they are completely brown in the Juvenile phase, they lighten in colour as they get older)
Southern Giant Petrel – 6 (including 1 white morph) Giant Petrel sp. – 3
Sooty Shearwater – 350
Great Shearwater – 1
White-chinned Petrel – 500 Cape (Pintado) Petrel – 200 Soft-plumaged Petrel – 7 Wilson’s Storm Petrel – 1 Brown (Sub-Antarctic) Skua – 5
Coastal Species:
African Penguin – 10 at sea (plus several onshore) Kelp Gull – common
Great Crested Tern – common
Cape Gannet – 50
White-breasted Cormorant – 10 pairs
Cape Cormorant – abundant (several thousand at Cape Point) Crowned Cormorant – 8
Bank Cormorant – 20 pairs
African (Black) Oystercatcher – 2
Marine mammals
Cape Fur Seal – abundant (coastal and pelagic)
Humpback Whale – 2
Long-beaked Common Dolphin – 1000+
White morph Southern Giant Petrel
2

(Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, using its webbed feet to help get airborne, must rank as one of the most beautiful of all Albatros)

(Cape Peninsula provides the perfect backdrop as an Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross glides past)

(Great Shearwater with its striking plumage stalls as it prepares to settle on the water right in front of our vessel)
A Cape Town Pelagic trip guided by Vincent Ward
A message from Cape Town Pelagic: A huge thank you to our experienced skippers who can safely lead us to the best birding areas and skillfully manoeuvre the boat into just the best position while all on board are busy concentrating on the birds! Coordinating a pelagic trip over a year in advance with guests from all across South Africa and different countries around the world requires an organized office team. We thank them for their special eye for detail – and the sometimes last-minute rearrangements and frustration if the weather delays the trip to another day! Our biggest thank-you is to our Cape Town Pelagics guides who take time out of their work, often involving seabirds and conservation, and time away from their families, to provide our guests with a world-class birding experience. Cape Town Pelagics donates all its profits to seabirds, and so all the participants who join the trip contribute to bird research and conservation – a big thank you from all of us
If you would like to book a Pelagic Birding experience please contact
Trevor Hardaker at Zest For Birds
Amanda Koopman at Cape Town Pelagics

(Another dramatic sunrise heading out from Simons Town on the way to Cape Point, False Bay and Cape Hangklip way in the distance)

(White Chinned Petrel, you will see large numbers of these Pelagic Birds when you are in the deep)

(Cape Pintado Petrels can congregate in large flocks following the trawlers)

(A Determined looking Shy Albatross, probably the most common Albatross seen in our Cape waters)

(Cape Gannet with its striking blue eye rings, always a favourite on Pelagics, this bird will dive from high up and swim way below the surface catching fish )
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