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| Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @ 18mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/2000 (stitched panorama) |
There was no time to really enjoy this view though as we were booked on the early morning Albatross Encounter trip. A quick bus ride to South Bay on the other side of the Kaikoura Peninsula to board the boat on dry land, a quick launch from the tractor and we were away.
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| Albatross Experience boat, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ (photo courtesy of Joanne Smissen) |
It was almost immediately clear that there were birds around and they were aware that we were there. The first to tag along was a Northern Giant Petrel
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| Northern Giant Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/8 1/1600 |
soon to be joined by some others, larger and smaller.
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| White-capped Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, Cape Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/8 1/1000 |
Photographing birds in flight is always a challenge but from the back of a boat travelling and 20+ knots in choppy seas was about as much fun as you can have in public.
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| Albatross Encounter, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ (photo courtesy of Joanne Smissen) |
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| Albatross Encounter, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 92.5mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/2000 |
Once we stopped, the birds quickly gathered around the boat waiting for a feed.
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| Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, Cape Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1600 |
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| Northern Giant Petrel, Cape Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/250 |
The Wandering Albatross were soon disputing dominance...
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| Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1600 |
but they were nowhere near as cantankerous as the Northern Giant Petrels.
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| Northern Giant Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 115mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
Sitting relatively still in the water provided some great opportunities for shots of birds in flight.
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| Albatross Encounter, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ (photo courtesy of Joanne Smissen) |
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| Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1250 |
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| Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/3200 |
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| Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/800 |
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| Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/500 |
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| Northern Giant Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
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| Northern Giant Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 122.5mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
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| Cape Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
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| Cape Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
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| Cape Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
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| White-capped Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 107.5mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1250 |
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| White-capped Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/800 |
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| White-capped Albatross, Cape Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/800 |
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| Westland Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-3, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 107.5mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/800 |
and of birds floating on the water.
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| Cape Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/320 |
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| Northern Giant Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
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| Westland Petrel, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
making it easier to tell the difference between similar species/sub-species of albatross with side-by-side comparisons.
Both sub-species of Shy Albatross were present. Salvin's Albatross has a grey head and neck, a yellowish bill with yellow along the length of the top of the upper bill and a black spot on the tip of the mandible (lower bill).
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| Salvin's Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
The New Zealand White-capped Albatross has a pure white cap on the head, only a light grey patch around the face and back of the head, a yellow-grey bill with bright yellow tip and no black spot on the tip of the mandible.
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| White-capped Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/500 |
Royal Albatross and Wandering Albatross are also similar. The Southern Royal Albatross has a pure white head and neck and scalloping on the shoulders (top of the wings). They also have a dark line delineating the upper and lower bill.
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| Southern Royal Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1600 |
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| Southern Royal Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1600 |
The Wandering Albatross is variable in markings but typically has smudges of grey/black on the head and fine striations on the top of the wings.
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| Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/500 |
Older birds can be much whiter.
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| Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1000 |
Being so close up and with rapid shutter release on the camera, I did manage to capture a view of the wing folding, which at normal speed looks like a magic trick. This photo shows the extremely long humerus (equivalent of a human upper arm) bone. Most birds have very short humerus bones so they can hardly be seen. The elongated humerus gives albatross a much longer, thinner wing than other birds but involves a complicated tri-fold to close the wings up.
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| Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 100mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/1000 |
When it was time to leave, the last of the 'chum' was tipped into the water creating a feeding frenzy providing a spectacular ending to a great morning on the water.
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| Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, Cape Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ (photo courtesy of Joanne Smissen) |
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| Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/2000 |
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| Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/400 |
Hi Ian. What a fantastic trip too see all these birds. You got marvelous photos of them. I did a trip,like this in Aus. Once and would love to do another sometime.
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