We drop anchor in Perseverance Harbour and zodiac in.
The Navy is doing some work in the bay for DOC. Judd said Heritage had specifically asked DOC to stay clear of this bay today, which they had agreed. Judd is not happy to see the ship in the bay, nor this zodiac when we are about to land.
We head up the path to look for the rare Campbell Island snipe, and see albatross nesting.
There are DOC huts at the bottom.
This is what the track is like, and the weather - overcast.
We see at least five royal albatross nesting beside the track. Here is one I got close to.
From National Geographic: "The chicks when they are full sized, will leave the island after they are born and for four years will circle the Southern Hemisphere before coming home again - first to visit, later to nest and then produce their own chicks. Bands from Campbell Island birds have been returned from Tahiti, Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Brazil, South Africa and Australia. When the young birds leave they will have to learn to feed themselves and they will be new to flying. But as they tack across the Pacific, skimming the waves towards Chile, their flying will improve. In time, they will be able to fly at up to 115 km/hr. When they arrive back at Campbell they will not be able to walk for a few days, probably because they have spent those four years exclusively at sea. The returning birds will not produce their first chicks until they are eight to ten years old, but once they mate they will usually stay with the same partner for life. And life for royal albatrosses can be a long time. One northern albatross at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula is at least 61 years old, and may be even older."
Scientists are unsure whether the paired birds keep contact with each other when they leave Campbell after each breeding season. But they do know that two years later, when they return for the next breeding season, the partners will often arrive on the island within an hour or two of each other.
We see beautiful megaflora. Megaflora are giant native plants which can grow to a metre tall.
This is Mariette looking for the snipe and albatross. "This way, " she says.
She was right. We saw the snipe.
Here is Bill. He is not happy about me taking a photo of him. I take too many. It is for the blog.
I look around to find someone to take a photo of me. No-one is around. I take a selfie.
Campbell Island speaks ...
"I am thrilled humans are taking better care of me than they have in the past. Nature loving humans have turned me into a World Heritage site. in 1998 I used to scream up to the sky Ranginui and scream to my uri ( my ancestors) and to taniwha’s. Where are you? Someone assist me please? For 110 years I lost 60,000 birds a year and nearly lost my teal, snipe and all my albatrosses. No one came until now. I had to be patient and I am so glad I was. I am now getting a bit of pampering even. In 2003 I got rid of rats, cats, goats and pigs.
I loved returning to my former self. I evolved over 100 million years, and not long after, flora and fauna evolved with me. Humans are the only ones who can help me, and return earth so it is sustainable for lots of species.
Why should we keep all my albatrosses you might ask? They evolved to make my island and the world richer. Humans thought pests had a role and didn't imagine them causing so much damage.
It is time to press the refresh button. If humans want their home richer, keep my island green, learn about biodiversity and look after nature where you live. Our planet depends on it."
After the walk, we take a zodiac ride around Perseverance Bay.
We get stuck on a rock. Judd (our guide) is out in a flash in the cold water.
He is pushing us off the rock, and has succeeded.
A sea lion is coming to look.
Judd has brought us here because there is a leopard seal.
We are at Tuckers Cove. Here we see the "world's loneliest tree". It is a sitka spruce planted early this century by a hopeful Earl of Ranfurly, a former Governor General. It’s no great success as a tree and after all these years is only 7.5m high. If it were back in its north west American home it would stand 60m at least. But it has gained distinction in the Guinness Book of Records as the “loneliest tree on earth.”
A sea lion is curious.
I get a photo with Bill and the sea lion.
I've got today's activities the wrong way round, but in the morning we had gone for a long zodiac in the bay. We saw the Campbell Island teal.
A yellow-eyed penguin.
Eric is enjoying himself.
So is Daniel. (He was our zodiac driver this morning.)
We see a sea lion that had caught a fur seal.
It wasn't easy to watch.
Petrels come in after the sea lion has finished.
Sea lions on the rocks.
Light mantled sooty albatrosses nesting.
Antarctic tern.
Shags.
New Zealand pipit.
Then it was back to the ship for lunch. We saw more penguins jumping.
At the end of the day we head to the Antipodes Islands - 405 km away.