Pelagic Birding off Cape Town

Host: Trevor Hardaker When: Anytime Length: Mainly one-day tours, but other options can be discussed. Number of guests: one or more Fee: Trevor accompanies visitors mainly as a pointer-outer. He must arrange a boat for visitors. For a group of up to 6 people he can arrange a charter for a total of R6000 for the group (about US$750 at the current exchange rate). Once the group gets bigger than this, he must charter a bigger boat with a licence to carry more people and then the total cost would go up to R7000 (about US$875 at the current exchange rate). All these prices are based on a one day pelagic trip which would leave at 7am in the morning and return at about 4pm. Trevor can accompany you on regular scheduled trips for a cost of about US$80 per person. ABOUT PELAGIC BIRDING AROUND CAPE TOWN: Pelagic birding off Southern Africa's shores varies from the warm tropical waters of the north-west and north-east coasts to the cold waters off the south coast. Pelagic birding in the tropical areas is rather slow, but does hold some special birds available nowhere else in the region. One might be fortunate enough to see frigatebirds, tropicbirds and perhaps even boobies in these waters. As one moves further south along the coastline, the birding becomes more spectacular and one begins to encounter certain Southern Ocean species As one leaves the harbour, the first coastal species that one encounters on a pelagic trip include Cape, White-breasted, Crowned and Bank Cormorants, Kelp, Hartlaub's and possibly Grey-headed Gulls, Common, Swift and Sandwich Terns as well as the endemic African Penguin. The boat then generally heads out into deeper water and tries to locate a trawler. This is a spectacle in itself as it offers one the opportunity to have literally thousands of seabirds at arm's length as they all mull around behind the trawlers. Throughout the year, one has a very good chance of seeing pelagic species like White-chinned Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Cape Gannet, Subantarctic Skua, the diminutive Wilson's Storm Petrel and 4 species of albatross (Shy, Black-browed and Atlantic and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses). During winter, when numbers of birds are at their highest, other species that are normally present are Southern and Northern Giant Petrel, the spectacularly plumaged Pintado Petrel, Antarctic Prion and Antarctic Tern. Winter trips also provide the possibility of many sought after species including those ocean going giants, Wandering and Southern and Northern Royal Albatrosses as well as Grey-headed Albatross and Antarctic Fulmar. During passage periods (April-May and September-October), other birds which visit our waters reasonably regularly include Great Shearwater, Soft-plumaged Petrel and, with a little bit of luck, Black-bellied Storm Petrel. The summer species lists are augmented with the likes of Cory's and Manx Shearwater, Arctic, Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua, Great-winged Petrel, European Storm Petrel, Sabine's Gull, Arctic Tern and Grey Phalarope. The added adrenaline rush is that there is always the chance of something odd turning up and in the last 2 years, trips off Cape Town have produced Spectacled and Grey Petrel, Flesh-footed and Little Shearwater, Leach's and White-bellied Storm Petrel and South Polar Skua to mention a few. Visit our seasonality tables to find out more about the month for month status of the occurence of the various species in Cape waters. In addition to this, one is almost guaranteed of seeing Cape Fur Seal, with Subantarctic Fur Seal also occurring, albeit rarely. The commoner whales include Southern Right, Humpback and Bryde's Whale, while occasionally other species such as Minke, Long-finned Pilot, Sperm and the incredible Killer Whales are seen. Many dolphins also occur with Common, Dusky, Bottle-nosed and Risso's being the ones most regularly seen. And if one starts getting bored with mammals, you could always turn your attention to the possible Thresher, Blue and Mako Sharks that occur as well as the bizarre Sunfish. PREPARING FOR A PELAGIC TRIP While pelagic birding trips off the Cape Peninsula are an unforgettable experience for the unique birding opportunities afforded, the Cape waters are also renowned for unpredictable weather conditions, and on occasions leave pelagic passengers wishing that they had been better prepared for their day at sea. The pelagic trips venture to a distance of 45 km or so off shore, and expose one to conditions that are sometimes quite different from on shore. Even on days where the weather appears to be fine, windless and sunny on shore, there is always a strong possibility that there will be a swell running at sea with maybe a wind blowing, creating conditions for spray. Thus the first rule for pelagic trips is to bring a waterproof clothing layer, preferably a waterproof jacket or parka and waterproof leggings. It is also in general noticeably colder at sea than on the shore, and if there is any sort of wind blowing over the water the chill factor induced by the wind can drop the temperature quite significantly. Thus the second rule is to bring adequate warm clothing. A layering system of clothing is the most convenient, so that if you find out that it is calm and balmy at sea, it is easy to remove a layer or two to avoid becoming too hot. Although conditions are sometimes overcast for an entire trip, it is more likely that the sun will be evident for some or all of the day on most pelagic trips. One is exposed on the boat, and so it is essential that you wear suitable headgear to provide some shade and sun protection. A wide brimmed hat provides good shade, but becomes a hindrance if there is a wind at sea. Woolly hats or baseball caps are probably the most appropriate headgear. The sun also leads to a great deal of glare, in particular due to reflections off the sea, and so even if wearing good headgear you are likely to be exposed to more solar radiation than on the equivalent day on shore. Thus the next rule for pelagic trips is to bring sunburn cream, and to apply liberal coatings to exposed skin, in particular your face. The glare can also strain your eyes, especially when a sought after bird flies towards the sun, so it is wise to bring a good pair of sunglasses. Finally, even the fittest person can succumb to seasickness, and even the old sea dogs occasionally feel less than perfect during some of the rougher pelagic trips. Thus it is wise to take seasick prevention medication prior to embarking on a pelagic trip if you have any doubts over the state of your sea legs. It is suggested that you chat to your local pharmacist to ascertain what particular seasick or travel sickness medication they recommend. Spending a day at sea uses a little more energy than your average day watching sport on TV, as you are constantly compensating for the movement of the boat. Consequently it is normal to work up a healthy hunger after a few hours at sea. A sandwich lunch and soft drinks are served on pelagic trips, but for those with a healthy appetite it is a good idea to bring some snacks or fruit to munch on up until lunch. Due to the great deal of variation in the weather conditions in the south western Cape the above recommendations apply throughout the year. Typically, however, the southern winter is characterised by north westerly winds, colder weather and slightly wetter conditions at sea, while the southern summer is characterised by south easterly winds and generally more sunny conditions.