13 Dec 2022

An action-packed day at the Antipodes Islands

Our Antipodes Island adventure kicked off to an amazing start with the weather being on our side as Heritage Adventurer made anchorage under clear blue skies and sunshine.

It was wildlife encounters galore as we Zodiac cruised over impossibly clear waters, waving kelp beds below, and observed the hijinks of Erect-crested and Rockhopper Penguins, playful Hooker's/New Zealand Sea Lions and petrels. As luck would have it we even spotted a Leopard Seal lazing in the sun on the shore!

The topography of these inhospitable volcanic wildlife havens was amazing, how the ocean carved out beautiful island gardens within the caves where Terns were resting inside them. Our excitement only grew as we spotted a Red-crowned Parakeet (Kakariki) with an unusual bright yellow and green mottled colouring body exploring the coastline. While our sightings of Antipodes Parakeets exceeded our expectation with the birds usually being elusive and well camouflaged in the surrounding greenery we observed many including a pair watching us watching them just metres away.

Riding high from the abundance of wildlife diversity, it was time to head back home to Heritage Adventurer continuing forward on our birding adventure.

Image (c) T.Brown