Navigating Rough Seas at the Snares
- Rediscovering New Zealand: An Expedition to the Subantarctic and South Island Adventures
- Our Adventure Begins in Queenstown
- A Day Trip to The Remarkables and Glenorchy
- Te Anu and Milford Sound
- An Overnight Cruise in Doubtful Sound with Fiordland Expeditions
- Our "Galapagos of the Southern Ocean" Expedition Officially Begins
- Embarkation Day: Setting Sail for New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands
- Navigating Rough Seas at the Snares
- A Day in the Auckland Islands
- Discovering Macquarie Island
- A Glorious Day at Sandy Bay
- Christmas at Sea and the Wonders of Campbell Island
- Exploring Enderby Island
- A Surprise Second Shot at the Snares
- From Disembarkation to Dunedin
- A Heli-hike on the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki/Mt. Cook
- Lake Tekapo Weather Woes
- Chasing Dusky Dolphins in Kaikoura
- Hiking the Abel Tasman Coast Track (well, part of it)
From the ship, we aimed our lenses at the surrounding sea birds: Sooty Shearwaters, Diving Petrels, Giant Petrels, Cape Petrels, Salvin’s Albatross, and Buller’s Albatross.
We then noticed the “Penguin Slide” —a steep rocky area used by penguins to travel between their forest nests and the sea. With my upgraded 200-600 lens, I could discern countless little dots scaling the slide: Snares crested penguins in action. It was a moment that took some time to absorb, realising each dot was a penguin battling the raw elements to survive.
The original plan was to zodiac cruise around North-East Island at The Snares, but the choppy waters made it impossible to safely deploy the zodiacs or board passengers. Instead, the captain opted for a “ship cruise,” navigating our 124-meter vessel remarkably close to the island shores. The captain managed to hold our position for about 15 minutes before we had to move on.
The rest of the day was spent cruising along the western chain of islands. With the ongoing rough seas, we took our sea sickness medications and allowed ourselves a much-needed nap, rocked by the undulating waves.
