A Cape Town pelagic is a spectacle that all birders should experience at least once in their lifetime. Many consider Cape Town to be one of the top pelagic birding destinations in the world. On these pelagics we head out searching for fishing trawlers which attract thousands of seabirds of a wide variety of species. It is then a case of searching through the commoner species to hopefully pick out the odd rarity or two. Expect a multitude of albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, as well as other coastal species such as cormorants and gannets.
Most of our pelagics leave from Simon’s Town harbor, from where we head out of the beautiful False Bay, sailing very close to the dramatic sea cliffs of Cape Point, Africa’s south-westernmost tip. Before leaving the bay we will already encounter our first pelagic seabirds, such as Sooty Shearwater as well as Brown Skua and Cape Gannet. Heading south from Cape Point we are likely to encounter Cory’s, Manx (tough), and Great Shearwaters in the summer months. The greatest spectacles await us when we reach the rich trawling grounds 30 kilometers (18 miles) or so beyond Cape Point. Literally thousands of albatrosses, petrels, pattering flocks of storm petrels, and many others gather around hake-fishing boats. This is one of the most unbelievably amazing spectacles that any birder can experience!
White-chinned Petrels are normally the most abundant birds around the trawlers, with smaller numbers of Southern and Northern Giant Petrels and the odd Great-winged Petrel. The Cape is one of the best places in the world to find Spectacled Petrel; these birds enter our waters in the summer in very low numbers. Although sightings are far from guaranteed, January/February are the best months for this species.
Albatrosses are normally present in large numbers and include Shy, Black-browed, Indian Yellow-nosed, and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, while we are always on the lookout for the rarer Wandering, Southern, and Northern Royal Albatrosses.
During the winter months large flocks of Cape Petrels push up from the cold subantarctic waters as well as Antarctic Prions. Storm Petrels are dominated by Wilson’s, with large numbers of European in the summer, while Black-bellied is a passage migrant and only likely for a couple of weeks in April/May and again in September/October each year.
Closer inshore we may encounter small numbers of Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers during the summer months as they harass fishing terns, while African Penguins and Cape, Crowned, and Bank Cormorant are almost guaranteed as we come back into the harbor. One of the most exciting aspects of pelagic birding off the Cape is that you never know when the next mega-rare species may turn up!
Some people are wary of seasickness, but for those who brave this, pelagic trips can be true highlights of any birding career. With luck we may find Bryde’s Whale as well as Humpback and Southern Right Whales (both seasonal visitors), Cape Fur Seal, and dolphins (Long-beaked Common and Dusky Dolphins are most abundant). The boat returns to the harbor at about 3:00 p.m.
We ask participants to meet at 6:45 a.m. at the Simon’s Town harbor for departure around 7:00 a.m. If you need a transfer, please e-mail info@birdingecotours.com.
This applies to our Cape Town pelagic trips. Please note that by request we also arrange 1-day pelagic trips in Mozambique, Namibia, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, etc., and these notes generally apply for those as well. A pelagic trip is run over the course of one day and involves heading out into the open ocean in search of various species only occurring out at sea. While this is a truly spectacular adventure, one must remember that we are always at the mercy of ever-changing sea conditions.
The vessel will depart from the specified port around sunrise and venture out into the ocean for usually a maximum distance of 30 nautical miles from land. Off southern Africa this is usually the ‘drop zone’, where deep water is present and many fishing vessels operate. On a pelagic trip we strive to try to find a fishing vessel, whether it be a trawler or a long-liner, as they attract huge masses of birds. We spend quite a large part of the day out at sea (depending on weather and sea conditions) and return to our port of departure in the afternoon (usually any time between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.). We provide a light lunch on board with various snacks, eats, and drinks, although if you should want anything specific we recommend that you bring it yourself.
A pelagic trip is booked over two consecutive days (usually a weekend). The first day is used as the primary day, but should the previous day’s weather forecast indicate that sea and/or weather conditions will prove more adverse on the first day, yet better on the second day, the pelagic trip will go ahead on the second day. However, it is possible that the trip may not go ahead at all due to adverse conditions over the entire two-day period. This is, unfortunately, not something we can predict and reliably confirm far in advance, and we are at the mercy of the weather/sea conditions and the word from our very experienced skippers, who ultimately give the final approval. Your safety on board the vessel is of paramount importance to us, and should the conditions of the sea prove to be too dangerous, the vessel will not go out. The pelagic trip is confirmed by the skipper either way a few days before it is due to depart. We will keep you informed about the decision.
What you will require:
Please see our seasonality table below to better understand seabird seasonality from our Cape pelagics.
This is a sample trip report. Please email us (info@birdingecotours.com) for more trip reports from this destination.
