In late 2024 I was lucky enough to spend a day out on the Northland east coast with The Petrel Station https://www.thepetrelstation.nz/ on a pelagic seabird spotting trip. The day out was so worth it with thousands of bird sightings – phenomenal! Most people don’t see these birds who spend a lot of their time foraging for food far out at sea. While it might appear that they are abundant, species right across the board are dwindling in numbers due to plastic consumption, lack of food availability, bycatch of the fishing industry, predation while nesting on land, weather events etc. They are really up against it. From a distance they all look the same but are actually many different species. They are a sight to behold, skipping across the ocean and soaring through the skies. We must take better care of these beautiful creatures.
