Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition - first of 2019!

The first pelagic of the year started with 4 well observed Zino's Petrels though the second day we were surprised by an electronic failure on both the brand new engines which made us return to land just after dropping the first bucket of chum and on a very low speed. Fixed the problem and the 3rd day of pelagic was the best/record day for Barolo's shearwaters! Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were a constant in all three days!

1st of May 2019 - North wind increasing during the afternoon up to 17 knots and waves from the same direction, also increasing from 1.5 to 2 meters
4 Pterodroma sp. - 1 on the way and 3 while drifting by the chum but all flew too far for a good ID
Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
4 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
2 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - 1 juvenile and 1 adult in separate occasions
Up to 13 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Short-beaked Common dolphin Delphinus delphis
Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

2nd of May 2019 - Northerly wind up to 15knots and north waves up to 1.5 meters
Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus

3rd of May 2019 - Wind was blowing from northeast up to 12 knots but decreasing during the afternoon and the waves were up to 1 meter from the north
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
10 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
2 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
8 Barolo’s shearwater Puffinus baroli
2 Puffinus sp. - too far to ID
Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Pomarine skua Stercorarius pomarinus

2 Common Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata - one close to Machico and another at the chumming position