Flock to Marion Mega Pelagic 2025 – all birders welcome
Following a ground-breaking trip in 2022, birders have another opportunity to board a cruise ship and head far south in search of some of the world’s most sought-after seabirds.
Think about some of the toughest birds to twitch on the British list and, undoubtedly, many of those would be seabirds, particularly species that have probably originated from somewhere in the Southern Ocean. Various albatrosses and petrels from the south have graced our area over time and, for the most part, have only been seen by the lucky few who were in the right place at the right time.
Departing from Durban, South Africa on Jan 24 2025, the MSC Musica has been charted exclusively for a 7-day trip to circumnavigate the waters around the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands.
This mega pelagic opens up an incredible opportunity for birders to get into those waters and see some of the species that call them home that might otherwise be rather difficult to see. These range from the monstrous Wandering Albatross down to the diminutive Grey-backed Storm Petrel and a plethora of other species in between.
The route of the trip gives really good chances of species like Sooty, Light-mantled, Grey-headed and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, Salvin’s and Fairy Prions, various petrels from the massive giant petrels down to the small Common Diving Petrel as well as the possibilities of King, Eastern (Southern) Rockhopper and Macaroni Penguins. It is not yet certain whether the ship will be allowed to venture into the 12-mile territorial waters around the islands, in which case it might be feasible to scope some of the coastal specials: Crozet Shag, Kerguelen Tern and Black-faced Sheathbill.
The cetacean possibilities are also excellent and range from the enormous Blue Whale through to some of the rarer and seldom-encountered beaked whales.
Most other ships that visit these areas where you have a chance of seeing these species are a lot more expensive, so this is an opportunity not to be missed.
For more info and to book your place, visit the Birdlife South Africa website.
Flock to Marion 2025 is an incredible opportunity to witness the breathtaking beauty of Southern Ocean seabirds. But on Marion Island, where many of these seabirds breed, a struggle for survival is underway with global significance.
Accidentally introduced by humans in the 19th century, invasive House Mice are preying on Marion Island’s globally important seabirds and undermining the integrity of the island’s entire ecosystem. With each passing moment, this dangerous intruder poses an ever-growing threat to the remarkable biodiversity of Marion Island.
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a partnership between the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and BirdLife South Africa aiming to restore Marion Island’s ecosystems and ensure a healthy future for the incredible seabirds calling the island home.
Without intervention 19 of the 29 species of seabird breeding on Marion Island face local extinction. We need your help to save Marion Island’s Seabirds.
Support the initiative to save Marion Island’s seabirds at mousefreemarion.org
30 July 2024
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