11 Dec 2023

Birding Down Under at Lusitania Bay

After a calm night at anchor in Sandy Bay, we set sail for the southernmost destination on our Birding Down Under adventure, Lusitania Bay at Macquarie Island. Sporting the Portuguese flag on the back of Heritage Adventurer seemed appropriate, as Lusitania is the old Roman name for Portugal.

We enjoyed an early breakfast before a superb one-hour Zodiac cruise to witness the largest King Penguin colony on Macquarie Island. It was a captivating sight with penguins as far as the eye could see! After the fabulous excursion, we enjoyed a well-deserved second breakfast back on board as we cruised north.

The afternoon had us ashore at the isthmus in Buckles Bay at the northern end of Macquarie Island, home to a bustling colony of moulting Elephant Seals. After departing the colony, it was a birders paradise observing Southern Giant Petrels, King Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Brown Skuas, Macquarie Island Shags, Redpolls and the rare Song Thrush. The walk along Razorback Ridge provided a respite from the wind and commanding views over the research base.

Back on our home away from home, we enjoyed fascinating presentations on Cetaceans from Dan, Killer Whales from Ian, Elephant Seals from Rachel and life-defining moments with penguins as experienced by Kevin and Peter.

A superb dinner followed as we headed northeast towards our next destination, Campbell Island. What a fantastic experience on Macquarie Island.

Images © C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions