Pelagic Bird Tours

Pelagic Birds off the South West Coast of South Africa

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The south-western Cape is said to offers the best pelagic birds (sea birds) in South Africa and our local pelagic birds are often said to be of the best sightings in the world because of its variety and large numbers.

The reason for this is that the, cold Benguela Current wells up at the continental shelf south-west of Cape Town. It is extremely rich in nutrients and brings plankton from the southern oceans of Antarctica. The strong winds (predominately from the south-east) create an upwelling that brings all the nutrients to the surface. This affords excellent feeding for pelagic fish and a great feeding source for pelagic birds. The fishing trawlers also provide a constant food source for pelagic birds with their discarded waste.

We head out from Simonstown harbour in the morning, into deeper water between 20 and 30 nautical miles off Cape Point and try to locate a trawler. Between 5,000 and 10,000 seabirds around a trawler is common and a truly awesome sight.

The high season for the pelagic birds is during the winter months of May, June and July when southern breeding birds visit the Cape. But whether it's summer or winter, you will not be disappointed.

The type of species to be seen are:

• Cape, White-breasted, Crowned and Bank Cormorants
• Southern and Northern Giant Petrel
• Antarctic Prion
• Common, Swift and Sandwich Terns
• the spectacularly plumaged Pintado Petrel
• Antarctic Tern
• African Penguin
• Wanderin and Southern Albatrosses
• Northern Royal Albatrosses
• Black-browed Albatrosses
• Atlantic Albatrosses
• Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses
• Grey-headed Albatross (rarely)
• Antarctic Fulmar
• Subantarctic Skuas
• Kelp, Hartlaub's
• Grey-headed Gulls
• Sabine's Gull
• Great Shearwater
• Sooty Shearwater
• Cape Gannet
• the diminutive Wilson's Storm Petrel
• Black-bellied Storm Petrel
• White-chinned Petrel
• Cory's and Manx Shearwater
• Arctic, Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua
• Great-winged Petrel
• Grey Phalarope
• European Storm Petrel
• Arctic Tern

We have had a good few sightings of the rare Spectacle Petrel.

Contact us for more information on the Pelagic birds trips.

Book for this shark trip today!