A Cape Town pelagic

I got up early and joined a group taking a pelagic seabirding trip.  We were driven to Hout Bay where we boarded a surprisingly small boat with two monster 250 hp engines at the back.  Steve, the skipper took us rapidly out to the continental shelf edge.  Bruce Dyer was our guide, and very good he was too.  His careful identification of the adult and sub-adult albatrosses was exemplary.  We passed a group of breaching humpback whales, which was pretty spectacular.  The first albatrosses we saw were Shy Albatross, which was a new species for me.  However, the species I really wanted to see were Atlantic and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross.  We saw a number of these, which made for good practice in how to separate these.  We found a trawler eventually, and it was mobbed with seabirds and also Cape Sea-lions, which were following the trawler too. That is, until a pod of Killer Whales tried to take one out.  I don’t think they succeeded.  

Leaving Hout Bay. Bruce Dyer, our guide, is on the left

A Shy Albatross

Great Shearwater - notice the pale panel at the greater coverts

Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross - note the grey head

Cape Gannet

Sub-adult Black-browed Albatross

Pintado/Cape Petrel

Part of the seabird flock at a trawler

Dusky Dolphin

Cape Sea-lion fleeing Orcas

More of the seabird flock

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross

Stunning coastal scenery just north of Hout Bay