What is birdwatching like on the southern oceans?Wet, cold, rocky and salty! Birdwatching at sea can vary from some of the easiest and up-close ‘birding’, to some of the most challenging. The southern oceans species include many of the most abundant of all birds, but also some of the rarest and least known. Of course, the most basic and essential tool for birdwatching is a field guide to identify the species and learn more about them. All of the countries that have oceanic coasts have sections that cover the seabirds. The other vital piece of equipment are binoculars. But be aware that on board a ship at sea your binoculars will get bashed, wet and salty! Identifying birds at sea can be among the most notoriously difficult of all birding. Many different species, such as the petrels, can look very similar. Additionally, the bird may be moving fast, and you as an observer on a ship may be moving. This also makes using a scope difficult. Unfortunately, the highest number of individual birds and species often occur in the colder, rougher waters. Bird-watching on the sea can be very easy at large, remote island colonies, where the birds may be approached. Also, many marine birds will rest or get blown onto ships, especially larger cruise ships. So it is always worth checking around under lounges and in corners on the top decks of large ships in summer in southern Australasian waters. Such encounters allow you to get face-to-face with some of the most free-ranging of all animals; such ocean dwelling birds are rarely kept in captive situations such as zoos and wildlife parks, and thus are rarely seen up-close by humans.
how and where can I see sea birds?Any ship that explores the coastal area around New Zealand should be rewarding for sea bird watching. There are several day trips that go out, the best and and most famous probably being the albatross encounter from Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand. There are also pelagic birdwatching boats that depart from sydney and melbourne, although I haven't been on these. These boats tend to 'chum' the water and are specifically looking for sea birds for the passenger. But if you are at all prone to sea-sickness, you might want to stay at home and stick to watching it on a documentary!
There are several multi-day options, which are also good. Larger cruise ships tend to be cheaper than smaller expedition ships, and get more birds 'caught' on their top deck, although you have to get there before the crew sweep the birds off. If you are on a ship across the Tasman from New Zealand to Australia, you have a good chance of being followed by Wandering or Royal Albatross. However, these ships are large and fast and they don't wait for birds. The smaller expedition ships that go around New Zealand are more expensive, but you get closer to the bird at sea, and the ships are slower.
For more on oceans and seabirds, check out the "Ecosystem Guides" book:
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