Pelagic Bird Trips

All our Pelagic Bird trips are carried out based on the best weather reports available and are at the skipper’s discretion. Max group size 7 pax, minimum 2 pax. Departure 07h00, returning 14h00. Departure from Simonstown.

The offshore waters off Cape Point offer some of the best one day pelagic birding in the world.

We dedicate our time to looking for the large trawlers which trawl up to 30 miles off shore. These trawlers attract thousands of birds and for the serious birder we would recommend one of our exclusive pelagic bird expeditions which cater for small groups of dedicated avian enthusiasts. There are several reasons for this abundance of pelagic bird species the most important being the nutrient rich waters caused by upwelling which occurs in this area. This upwelling in turn attracts huge volumes of bait fish and others which feed in the nutrient rich waters. Obviously lots of fish mean fishermen and the large commercial fishing boats ply their trade here. This in turn attracts ten of thousands of birds under the right conditions which feed behind active trawlers. The current responsible for spreading nutrient rich water is the cold Benguela current. The warm Agulhas current flows down the East coast of South Africa and it too brings a host of sub tropical species with it particularly during the summer months.

Throughout the year, one has a very good chance of seeing pelagic species like White-chinned Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Cape Gannet, Sub Antarctic 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.

Guests suffering from nausea or motion sickness are advised to take precautionary measures prior to each days scheduled departure. Warm waterproof clothing is recommended and during summer and autumn months sunscreen and a hat are advised.

The rate includes snacks and refreshments as well as a qualified guide. All pelagic bird trips are carried out based on the best weather reports available and are at the skipper’s discretion. Max group size 7 pax, minimum 2 pax. Departure 07h00, returning 14h00. Departure from Simonstown.