By Bob Zuur
WWF-New Zealand Marine Advocate
I slept well last night, surprising well. The Spirit of Enderby had a gentle roll, in spite of what were very easy seas. The round hulls of ice-strengthened boats makes them less vulnerable to ice, but more susceptible to rolling. I was fortunate; already some of the team are feeling decidedly queasy.
Sunrise brought us company - two Korean trawlers - in an otherwise empty ocean. Empty in terms of a visible human presence - birds were abundant. Buller's albatrosses and sooty shearwaters skimmed above the waves then wheeled up to gain height so they could fly on without a wingbeat. What were those trawlers catching? I wondered.
Up ahead, the long, low silhouettes of the Snares. These islands 60 miles (almost 100km) southwest of Stewart Island are home to millions of seabirds, having avoided the ravages of rats and other pests. We're not allowed to land because the entire island is a honeycomb of petrel burrows. But Rodney Russ promised us a spectacular cruise around the island in Zodiacs.
And so it proved. Clambering down the swaying gangway, we sat dry-footed in the Zodiacs. As we waited for the other Zodiacs to collect their passengers, penguins porpoised through the water ahead of us. My first wildlife photos of the trip showed perfectly exposed and focused splashes in the water - clearly the speed of my shutter finger will have to improve.
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Bob Zuur is a marine biologist who is spending a month
exploring Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic Islands
to raise awareness of the area and its importance. His current work with WWF
focuses on fisheries, offshore oil exploration and seabed mining, and on
increasing protected areas in our marine environment. He will be
documenting his travels here on
3news.co.nz.
Our
Far South Bob Zuur RSS Feed
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Rodney eased the Zodiac along the shoreline, in amongst the golden bull kelp and clear waters. I thought that perhaps I should have taken snorkelling gear and joined those gaining a different perspective of the Snares. But Anton [van Helden] our marine mammal expert reminded me that the abundant seals and penguins support a healthy population of great white sharks. Every time we left the Spirit, we had to reverse our own numbered check tag and reverse them again on our return. The snorkel team was monitored closely!
At first we saw a few Snares crested penguins, and then more, and more. Resting above the high tide mark, they were patiently waiting for their winter feathers to grow and make them waterproof and able to return to the water. One delightful pair preened each other - was this love or simply speeding up the moulting process? As Rodney guided the Zodiac into a cave under the penguins, he suggested that we avoided the small waterfall. Draining the colony, it was largely penguin pee!
Fur seals frolicked in the kelp, while a large sea lion took a very close interest in our Zodiac, swimming closely under the hull and peering at us. Who was observing who?
Andy [Roberts], from DOC, noted that the Snares are among the most pristine and least disturbed islands in the world. They are truly special places, to be treasured and protected.