The plan for today is for zodiac cruising in two locations around the Auckland Islands. Le Soleal has remained anchored at Enderby Island overnight, as we wait for a second severe low pressure system to pass by.
The first zodiac cruise is along the coastline of Enderby Island, where there is some excellent wildlife spotting to be done. The beachmasters are still defending their harems, the juvenile Hooker’s Sea Lions are still sparring, and one unfortunate female sea lion has died overnight, providing breakfast for the giant petrels and skuas.
The Auckland Island teal duck is also sighted, as it the Auckland tomtit, a tiny black and white bird that is well-camouflaged against the igneous rocks. A subantarctic pipit is also busy feeding on insects in the dead kelp, and the Auckland Island shag is nesting on the cliffs.
In the afternoon, Le Soleal repositions to Musgrave Inlet. There are fewer takers for the zodiac cruise than the morning (which was also low on numbers), as the rain and wind is increasing due to the third low pressure system making its presence felt, despite the shelter of the land mass. It is the first time in the area for the naturalists. We picked up a passenger at Macquarie Island who was returning from working at the ANARE station who had been to the area before and alerted the expedition team about the presence of caves that could be navigated by zodiac.
The caves are spectacular – one is pitch black at the end, and the other opens out into a circular arena, with moss covered tree roots hanging over the edge, and moving in the breeze. It is a short zodiac ride as the weather is continuing to deteriorate and the wind and rain is getting stronger. On the way back, a nesting light mantled sooty albatross is spotted on the cliff face.
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Le Soleal will spend the night in the shelter of the Auckland islands, waiting for a THIRD severe low pressure system to pass, before heading to Bluff on the South Island of New Zealand to commence the last 2-3 days of the expedition in Fiordland.
