10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2016

Thanks to it’s marine canyon it’s the place to see Sperm Whales, swim with Dusky Dolphins and New Zealand Fur-seals, and watch albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels. New Zealand Fur-seals have a n extraordinary waterfall creche near Kaikoura , although there are reports this site was one of the casualties.

Albatross 157

Albatross New Zealand Fur Seals 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

The two main chapters cover Marine Mammals (Orca; Whales; Dolphins and Porpoises; Sea Lions, Fur Seals, and Elephant Seal; Rarer Marine Mammals) and Seabirds (Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Fulmar, Strom-Petrels, Phalaropes, Alcids, Red-billed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, South Polar Skua, Jaegers, Gulls and Terns, Rarer Seabirds).

Dolphins 162

Dolphins Porpoises Whales Whaling 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2013

The rocks here are particularly good for New Zealand Fur-seals, but we also saw Variable Oystercatchers , Black-fronted Terns, Caspian Terns , White-fronted Terns, Red-billed Gulls and Kelp Gulls. A New Zealand Fur-seal. It certainly helped my year list! So another season, another great haul of pelagic birds.

Albatross 165

Albatross New Zealand Fur Seals 165

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2013

What put this once small fishing town on the map was not birds but mammals, specifically whales and dolphins. The boat moves quickly past interesting things; Northern Giant Petrels , Buller’s Shearwaters , White-capped Albatrosses , New Zealand Fur Seals (I understand they will pause to see dolphins).

Whales 200

Whales Whaling Albatross New Zealand 200

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2016

In the early morning out on the water there were plenty of Fluttering Shearwaters and Australasian Gannets, and close to a salmon farm we found New Zealand Fur Seals as well as Pied Shags, Little Shags and Spotted Shags (I can only assume that kiwis just like calling all cormorants shags because they are all five years old).

Charlotte 113

Charlotte New Zealand Fur Seals 113

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

Add to this regular sightings of Humpback and Southern Right Whale, inside and outside the bay, as well as year round sightings of Bryde’s Whale and occasional summer reports of Orca in pursuit of dolphin off Cape Point, and you have some idea as to what to expect in the way of the ‘unexpected’.

Albatross 180

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whaling 180

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Elephants, whales, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and alligators use low-frequency sounds to communicate over long distances, often miles; and bats, dolphins, whales, frogs, and various rodents use high-frequency sounds to find food, communicate with others, and navigate. The 10-year-old dog and 4-month-old joey eventually became best friends.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100