WildWings The Atlantic Odyssey - From the Antarctic to the Tropics

Wildlife summary by Simon Cook, Tour Leader.

From Ushuaia, Argentina to the Cape Verde Islands

26^th March – 2^nd May

The Atlantic Odyssey is one of the best ocean voyages in the world, as the ideally-suited expedition cruise ship M/V Plancius repositions from Antarctica to Europe. There are outstanding opportunities to see well over 40 species of tubenoses, plus many cetaceans and the chance of endemic landbirds on several of the remote islands that are visited. This was the fifth Atlantic Odyssey for leader Simon Cook.

With zodiac cruises at both Gough and Nightingale Islands and the first landing of any ship for several years on Inaccessible Island, the avian stars of the voyage were Gough Moorhen, Tristan Thrush, Gough, Nightingale and Inaccessible Buntings, plus the fabled, confiding and diminutive, Inaccessible Island Rail.

Pre-cruise birding around Ushuaia was very rewarding and provided the opportunity to search for several of the local specialities, both around the town and in the nearby national park. The most exciting birds were Andean Condor, Austral Tapaculo, Austral Pygmy Owl, Austral Parakeet, White-bellied Seedsnipe, Green-backed Firecrown, Spectacled Duck, White-winged Cinclodes and several summer-plumaged Franklin’s Gulls. The Drake Passage, between Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula, provided many good seabirds – Westland, Soft-plumaged, Kerguelen and Grey Petrels being among them. There were albatrosses too, including Black-browed, Grey-headed, Wandering, Southern Royal and Light-mantled Sooty. Exceptionally, a number of both Rockhopper and King Penguins were seen. Antarctic sightings were hindered by poor weather but Adelie Penguin, Snow Petrel and Humpback Whale were added to the trip list.

En route to South Georgia we saw Fin and Southern Bottlenose Whales, Hourglass Dolphin, Atlantic Petrel, Fairy Prion and a vagrant Cattle Egret. Spectacular South Georgia didn’t disappoint, with dramatic land and icescapes providing a backdrop to King, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Macaroni Penguins and the (South Georgia) Pipit, Shag, Diving-Petrel and Pintail.

The long journey to Gough Island brought many tubenose species, including our first Sooty Albatross, Grey-backed and White-bellied Storm-petrels and Great-winged, Spectacled and Atlantic Petrels. Other interesting species included Long-finned Pilot Whale, Sooty and Sub-Antarctic Little Shearwaters, Tristan and Yellow-nosed Albatross and much rarer Shy and Salvin’s Albatross. Gough Island was very impressive and a zodiac cruise enabled us to get good views of both of the endemic species, Gough Moorhen and Gough Bunting, plus large numbers of the distinctive Sub-Antarctic Fur Seal and thousands of Northern Rockhopper Penguins. Landings on Tristan and Inaccessible and a zodiac cruise at Nightingale produced all but one of the endemic landbirds, the best of which was Inaccessible Island Rail – two of which were seen at very close quarters. There were many Great Shearwaters too and whilst at anchor at Tristan itself, a breeding-plumaged Franklin’s Gull spent some time around the ship.

On the way to St. Helena the southern, cool water species were slowly replaced by warmer water ones such as False Killer Whale and White-faced Storm-petrel. Once ashore, we had excellent views of the endemic St. Helena Plover, with some people seeing a nest with eggs and, nearby, tiny chicks. Two trips on a local boat were excellent for seabirds such as Brown and Black Noddy, Madeiran Storm-petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird, Masked Booby and White Tern. Other things that we had extremely close views of were Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Sei Whale (2) and a large and confiding Whale Shark.

En route to Ascension Island Clymene Dolphin, Sperm Whale and Killer Whale were added to the species list. The offshore islet of Boatswain Bird Island produced Short-finned Pilot Whale and was packed with seabirds. Thousands of Masked Boobies, Black Noddies and endemic Ascension Frigatebirds were noted, along with small numbers of White-tailed Tropicbirds, Brown Boobies and Red-footed Boobies. Atlantic Green Turtles were seen ashore (as were Cattle Egrets and Common Swift) and a visit was made to the large Sooty Tern colony.

Our time sailing to the Cape Verde Islands included a transit over the Equator at the Romanche Fracture Zone, an area that combined submarine seamounts (one rising to within 100 metres of the surface) with a trench that at its deepest point was 24,575’/7,728 metres below the surface! The wildlife on this leg was exciting and varied: Atlantic Blue marlin, Hawksbill Turtle, Arctic and Long-tailed Skuas, Leach’s, White-faced, Wilson’s and European Storm-petrels, Cory’s, Cape Verde and Boyd’s Shearwaters. One evening a House Martin landed on the ship. There were many cetaceans too, such as Spinner Dolphins and very close Sperm, Dwarf Sperm, Short-finned Pilot, Cuvier’s Beaked and Blainville’s Beaked Whales.

On the island of Santiago the endemic Iago Sparrow, Cape Verde Warbler and Swift were seen, as well as local birds such as Brown-necked Raven, Spanish Sparrow and Spectacled Warbler. The reservoir was very productive too, with Spoonbills, Purple Heron, Intermediate Egret and two vagrant Black Herons. Later on more interesting birds were seen - Western Reef Egret, Kentish Plovers, African Collared Doves, Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks and Quail. A special pelagic trip was done from Fogo to Brava and very close views of the local tubenoses were obtained. There were surprises here too, in the shape of a Black Tern and some close and breaching Melon-headed Whales. Immediately prior to disembarkation in Praia a single Yellow-legged Gull appeared.