Pelagic Birding Blog

A seasonal guide to Chile's four pelagic zones: the year-round Humboldt Current off Valparaíso, Pincoya Storm-Petrel in the Chiloé fjords, the northern frontier at Arica, and the Magellan Straits sub-Antarctic season (October–March only).

A guide to Chile's best pelagic birding trips: the Humboldt Current albatross runs off Valparaiso, the endemic Pincoya Storm-Petrel in Chiloé's fjords, and sub-Antarctic voyages through the Magellan Straits.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding in Ireland: when Wilson's Storm-Petrel peaks off Baltimore, when shearwater flocks reach their maximum, and how the timing differs between West Cork and the Dingle Peninsula.

A guide to pelagic birding in the Cape Verde Islands: the West Africa Pelagic expedition cruise from Praia to Madeira, endemic shearwaters and petrels, and the extraordinary seabird diversity of the subtropical North Atlantic.

A seasonal guide to New Zealand pelagic birding: when the Subantarctic expedition season opens, when NZ Storm-Petrel peaks off Northland, when Royal Albatrosses are closest at Kaikoura, and how each region's calendar differs.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding in Spain: the best months for Balearic Shearwater and skuas in the Gulf of Cádiz, and the narrow August–September window for White-faced Storm-Petrel and Band-rumped Storm-Petrel at Banco de la Concepción in the Canary Islands.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding in South Africa: when albatrosses peak off Cape Town, the Eastern Cape's winter shearwater runs, and Durban's spring Barau's Petrel window in KwaZulu-Natal.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding in Portugal: the best months for Monteiro's Storm-Petrel at Banco da Fortuna in the Azores, and the peak Balearic Shearwater season off Sagres in the Algarve.

A guide to Ireland's top pelagic birding trips, from Wilson's Storm-petrel spectacles off Baltimore in West Cork to the Blasket Islands Pelagic off the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.

A guide to the UK's best pelagic birding trips: the North Minch off the Scottish Highlands, Wilson's Storm-Petrel runs from the Isles of Scilly, the Penzance Cornwall pelagic, and the Celtic Deep expedition from Pembrokeshire.

A guide to Portugal's top pelagic birding trips: the Azores Birders Pelagic to Banco da Fortuna — the only reliable site for the endemic Monteiro's Storm-Petrel — and the Sagres Seabird Watching trip off the Algarve, where the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater congregates with all four skua species.

A guide to New Zealand's top pelagic birding trips, from Kaikoura's daily albatross runs and the Petrel Station's rare North Island seabirds to Dunedin's subantarctic specialists and Stewart Island's albatross-rich Foveaux Strait.

A guide to Spain's top pelagic birding trips, from the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater spectacle in the Gulf of Cádiz to the storm-petrel-rich overnight expeditions to the Canary Islands seamount of Banco de la Concepción.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding across Canada, covering British Columbia's spring-to-fall shearwater and albatross season, the fall Ancient Murrelet migration, and Atlantic Canada's summer storm-petrel and Grand Banks shearwater windows.

A guide to Canada's top pelagic birding trips, from the shearwater-rich waters off Tofino on Vancouver Island's Pacific coast to the seabird hotspots of British Columbia's continental shelf.

A guide to South Africa's top pelagic birding trips, from the Benguela Current albatross runs off Cape Town to the warm-water Indian Ocean pelagics out of Durban.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding across South America, covering month-by-month timing for the Humboldt Current off Chile and Peru, Galapagos departures from Ecuador, and sub-Antarctic voyages from Argentina.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding around the United Kingdom: when shearwaters flood the North Minch, when storm-petrels peak on autumn westerlies, and how the seasons differ between Scotland, Wales, and southern England.

A month-by-month guide to Norway's seabird season: when puffins return to the cliffs, when Svalbard cruises launch, when the Varanger seaducks peak, and how to match each region's window to your trip plans.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding in Japan, covering the best months for Short-tailed Albatross, drift ice eagles, Rhinoceros Auklets, and Izu Islands ferry crossings across Hokkaido, Tokyo, and the Pacific island chains.

A guide to Japan's top pelagic birding trips, from Short-tailed Albatross cruises at Torishima and overnight ferries to the Izu Islands, to Hokkaido's drift ice eagle cruises and the world's largest Rhinoceros Auklet colony at Teuri Island.

A regional guide to the top pelagic birding trips on the US West Coast, from Westport's shearwater flocks and Oregon's Heceta Bank to San Diego's tropical rarities and Alaska's seabird colonies.

A guide to Norway's top seabird and pelagic birding trips, from Atlantic Puffins at Runde and Vesterålen to Svalbard's Arctic expedition cruises and Finnmark's winter seaducks.

What is pelagic birding and how do you get started? This guide covers everything first-timers need to know, from what to expect on the boat to the best trips for beginners.

A guide to Australia's top pelagic birding trips, covering key departure ports, target species like albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters, and the best seasons to go.

A guide to the best pelagic birding trips in South America, covering Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Find trips along the Humboldt Current, Galapagos cruises, Patagonian voyages, and Falkland Islands expeditions.

A regional guide to the top pelagic birding trips on the US East Coast, from Cape Hatteras and its legendary Pterodroma petrels to New England's canyon trips and Florida's tropical seabirds.

A practical packing list for your next pelagic birding trip, covering optics, camera gear, clothing, seasickness prevention, and everything else you'll need on the boat.

A practical guide to your first pelagic birding trip, covering what to bring, how to handle seasickness, birding from a boat, photography tips, and what happens on the water.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding in Australia, covering the best months for albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, and storm-petrels across NSW, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia.

A guide to where to see storm-petrels pelagic birding, covering key species from Wilson's and Band-rumped to Ashy and European Storm-Petrels, with links to the best trips worldwide.

A seasonal guide to pelagic birding across the United States, covering the best months for seabirds on the East Coast, West Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii.

A guide to the best destinations for seeing albatrosses on pelagic trips, covering New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, South America, the US West Coast, and Japan.