05 Mar 2020

Exploring Chambers and Musgrave Inlets

Waking early we returned to the east coast of Auckland Island and first made a rare, ship cruise up Chambers Inlet in our trusty expedition vessel Spirit of Enderby.

The early light washing over the hills, many with evidence of past glaciation, resulted in a flurry of camera activity. Large numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters were seen and high cliffs of basalt rock, a legacy of early volcanic activity. From here we then visited Musgrave Inlet and its spectacular sea cave, open-dome cathedral.

The Spirit of Enderby then sailed south to Carnley Harbour where we enjoyed an interesting voyage up the North Arm with a raft of at least 2,000 Sooty Shearwaters and a clear view of remains of the schooner Grafton, wrecked in 1864. We then turned north towards The Snares Islands and our final locality.

Image from file © H.Dohn, Heritage Expeditions