The team at Naturaliste Charters have recently announced six dates for their popular pelagic birdwatching trips in 2024, with two Augusta departures in July, and four Bremer Bay departures in December.
These trips are led by four expert onboard birdwatching guides, targeting a broad range of seabirds. While pelagic encounters are the focus, there will be great opportunities to see various marine mammals including Killer Whales, Pilot Whales, dolphins and more.
About the trips
These trips aim to connect with a variety of colder water Southern Ocean seabirds that only visit the region during the winter months. Common encounters include a variety of albatrosses, including Yellow-nosed, Black-browed, and Shy, but there is always a chance for Campbell Albatross, Wandering Albatross, or even scarcer species like the Northern Royal Albatross, which was seen on an August 2021 departure. Other potential encounters include Cape, Great-winged, and Soft-plumaged Petrels, and possibly Little Shearwaters (the southwest of WA is the best place to see this species in mainland Australian waters).
If the seas are cold enough, guests may also find a few prions out in the deeper waters. Antarctic Prions are the most regular winter species in southwest WA waters, but guides are always keeping a close look out for other scarcer prions amongst them. At this time of year, there is aways a good chance of spotting Brown Skuas, and both Giant-Petrel species too. And with some luck, you might find something slightly rarer too, with Grey Petrel a major highlight on the August 2022 trip!
For Bremer Bay in particular, this is the only Australian pelagic location that semi-regularly reports Barau's Petrels, whilst other summer rarities have included Cory's and Great Shearwaters, Cook's and Pycroft's Petrels, and Chatham and Amsterdam Albatross. Such rarity sightings are obviously the exception rather than the rule, hence, Naturaliste Charters are running four trips to give guests the best possible chance to connect with something special.
However, even the day-to-day seabirding is top class, when large swirls of Flesh-footed Shearwaters often indicate the presence of Orcas, and other common seabirds include Wilson's and White-faced Storm-Petrels, Great-winged Petrels, Indian Yellow-nosed, Black-browed, Shy, and the mighty Wandering Albatrosses. Furthermore, if guests are lucky enough that the Orca have made a kill, the large oily slicks generated from these predation events can attract hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of seabirds to feast on the scraps.
2024 Augusta departures
- Saturday 20th July at 7:00am
- Sunday 21st July at 7:00am
2024 Bremer Bay departures
- Saturday 7th December at 7:00am
- Sunday 8th December at 7:00am
- Monday 9th December at 7:00am
- Tuesday 10th December at 7:00am
Spaces are limited, and due to the overwhelming interest, pre-bookings are highly recommended.
