It is not possible to drop anchor at Bounty Island, but we are fortunate to have relatively calm weather allowing Le Soleal to motor in a stable position. It is also something of a weather miracle to be able to see Bounty Island at all…let alone all of the small rocks that make up this subantarctic group of 20 small islands lying 650km from the South Island of New Zealand. Named after Captain Bligh’s infamous ship the Bounty, they were discovered in 1788 and are only 1.35km in total area.
Landings are not permitted, so it a question of photographing this remote collection of rocks from the zodiacs. Wildlife is plentiful – the Bounty shag nests here, as do the erect crested penguin and Salvin’s albatross. There are also New Zealand fur seals and sea lions hauled out onto the rocks. It seems to be a shared commune, with sea lion pups, New Zealand fur seals, Salvin’s albatrosses, black-backed gulls and penguins with chicks eking out space on the limited real estate. The Bounty shags seem to prefer being apart on the steeper rocks that are harder to access, perhaps for some peace from the seals and sea lions.
Two zodiac cruises are planned for the day, however a strong easterly swell causes major problems on the marina deck all day. The crew continue to try at two-hourly intervals, but the swell in the morning in the video below has eased only slightly by late afternoon, despite the brilliant sunshine.
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A final attempt to safely launch the zodiacs is made in the late afternoon. The video below demonstrates why this was promptly abandoned – the ship’s photographer and videographer are almost casualties trying to disembark the zodiacs.
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