May 2018 Pelagic - Hard...but we got them all!

The first Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition of 2018 was quite hard for the participants, due to the weather and sea conditions, but at the end, it was rewarding as we got all the targeted species!

23rd May 2018 - 20 knots of Northwest wind, waves from the same direction up to 2.5 meters and rain. Very rough conditions!
Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
5 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Great Skua Stercorarius skua

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus

24th May 2018 - North wind up to 15 knots and waves from north up to 1.5 meters. Cory’s shearwater, Manx shearwater and Bulwer's Petrel were always passing by.
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - on the way to the chumming position
> 30 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro - at least 8 at the same time feeding on the chum slick
2 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Several Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
2 Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
2 Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
2 Barolo's shearwater Puffinus baroli - flew a bit far from the boat
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus

25th May 2018 - Northerly wind up to 12 knots. Northwest waves up to 1.4 meters
At the start of the trip, the sea looked like a desert, only 5 miles offshore we started seeing Cory’s shearwater and Manx shearwater. Bulwer's Petrel were only observed after the chum was dropped on the water.
2 Great Skua Stercorarius skua - 1 on the way up and 1 by the chumming position
3 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Pterodroma sp. - too far to ID
Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira at sunset (20:50) - a great observation as the bird flew close to the boat, up and down the chum slick a few times.
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca - the sun was already down, it was 21:00 when this species started to feed on the chum
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus - flew by the boat on the ride back.

6 Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta