I went on the pelagic birding trip out of Portland, Victoria, on Sunday 1 February. The trip was organised by Chanith Wijeratne on board the Kraken Fishing Charters boat, the Lucky 8, skippered by Jon Dukker.
The trip out into the Southern Ocean was brutal. The weather was expected to be windy and rough but we had not expected the 3-5 metre swell. It took nearly 4 hours to reach the continental shelf but the discomfort was well rewarded with more than 20 species of birds seen and many giving good shows for photographs - albeit in challenging conditions. I managed 3 photographic lifers as well as another 2 ticks for Victoria. Here are my favourite shots from the day. Click on any image for slide show.
