French Pass, D'Urville Island Wildlife report.
March 2010
Last month saw Bottlenose Dolphins & Dusky Dolphins, Pilot Whales, Penguins, Arctic Skuas and Falcons as regular visitors to French Pass. High tides and full moons have set this month in motion with Little blue Penguins in moult.
Common Dolphin (19 January 2010) A family pod of common dolphin swum with guests of French Pass Sea Safaris today. Common dolphin are seen more throughout the summer months.
Little Blue Penguin A little Blue Penguin found ashore at Elmslie Bay, French Pass is being rehabilitated.
Orca (12 January 10) A few days ago over 15 orca spent the morning surfing the waves of French Pass, Te Aumiti before heading up the coast & foraging in Admiralty Bay. A pod visited French Pass wharf in the afternoon to the delight of visitors.
Dolphins: Bottlenose dolphins have been regular visitors but gave the orca a wide berth. Orca have been photographed predating on common dolphin in the area. There is no record of orca harming man.
Arctic Skua: Skua are present chasing our little white-fronted tern, forcing them to regurgitate the fish just caught, in order to get an easy meal.
A pilot whale has been sighted. It is thought this may be one from the pod that went aground at Farewell Spit.
Fairy Prion & other Seabirds; (12 December 09) Unsettled weather and strong winds have bought ocean going seabirds including the Giant Petrel and Fairy Prion within easy viewing of French Pass. Small pods of Dusky Dolphin are still working in the area. Common Dolphin and Bottlenose dolphin have been present. Early November saw large flocks of Red Billed Gull feeding in the French Pass. Present are Australasian Gannet, Gulls, Fluttering Shearwater, Little Blue Penguin, Sooty and Flesh-footed Shearwater as well as four shag species including the very rare King Shag.
A colder than normal period has seen a latter arrival of Kingfish and snapper.
Seals & Seabirds; (9th November 09) NZ fur seal pups are hauling out on local rocky shores. Blue penguin are working the waterways along with seasonal sooty shearwaters & flesh-footed shearwaters.
Dolphins; (9th November 09) Yesterday Dusky dolphins were bait balling in the current basin as the sun set. Today a large pod of Bottlenose dolphins visited French Pass to the delight of visitors.
Dusky Dolphins; (30th September 09) Several pods of Dusky dolphins put on a good display of feeding with Australasian Gannets, Fleshfooted Shearwater, Fluttering Shearwater and other seabirds before a pod of orca came through the pass.
Pod of Orca: (30th September 09) A pod of approx 11 orca moved NE through French Pass. Several bulls and a mixed pod of females, juvinils and calves.
NZ Falcon; ( 23rd September 09) NZ Falcon can be heard and seen most days above French Pass.
Pied Stilts; (7th September 09) Spring brings all types of new visitors. This week we had a pair of Pied Stilts making a stop over.
Southern Right Whale; A Southern Right has been seen in the area.
Bottlenose Dolphins; (September 2009) are regularly transiting French Pass in medium size pods. Great acrobatic displays.
White Dolphin; (August 2009) gave sighting to a white Bottlenose Dolphin in the Marlborough Sounds.
Pied Shag; continue to get caught by fishing gear including nylon lines and set nets. Caution needs to be taken if you are fishing in the area.
New Zealand Fur Seal; this season has seen different patterns emerge on the haulout areas with seal pup numbers being low in some areas. Coming into February has seen more consistency.
Dolphins; A pod of four Bottlenose Dolphins have been making regular appearances in the bay. Campers and visitors have delighted in kayaking and swimming with them.
Dusky dolphins have been few in number through the summer but will start more regular visits from April.
Orca; French Pass & d'Urville Island have been visited by several family pods of Orca. Regular visits occured from Christmas day to the end of January. Orca feed on shark and stingray and spend up to a week in Admiralty Bay. There have been several sightings of orca giving birth in the surrounding waters. If you are a visitor send your sightings with photos to http://www.orcaresearch.org
Seabirds; Gannets are now feeding in the upwellings and currents of the French Pass Passage. Diving at speeds of up to 145km these magnificent birds are regularly seen gracing the airwaves. Fluttering shearwaters are in good numbers.
White fronted terns are being chased by Arctic Skuas in dogfights in the sky. The Skuas looking for an easy meal by forcing the terns to drop their fish.
King shag one of the rarest seabirds in the world can be regularly seen fishing the local waterways. The young juvenil birds can be seen with a parent shag.
Reef heron can regularly be seen along the islands shores. Spotted shag, oyster catcher, along with little blue penguin are all working the waterways for food. Young penguins are getting their sea wings and can regularly be seen in the French Pass waterway.
There are occassional sightings of Flesh footed Shearwater.
Pied Shag are still being caught by fisherman and dying.
Birds; The New Zealand Falcon is common to Elmslie Bay, French Pass. Three are regularly seen.
Tui, Pigeon, bellbird, and weka are regularly seen in the French Pass Village.
Dolphins; bottlenose are regularly passing through working back and forth through French Pass. A pod of four bottlenose visit the bay at intervals are are joined by holiday makers for a swim.
Orca; several pods of orca have been across Elmslie Bay after foraging in Admiralty Bay. Two lots of family groups have spent considerable time in the area. Our first sighting was Christmas Day.
Seals; young pups are now moving further out to the outer islands. Swimming with these young seals is a delight.