Otago Peninsula is supposed to harbor some of the most accessible wildlife on mainland NZ. They have NZ fur seals, albatross, and penguins to name a few. However, a lot of the wildlife requires expensive tours to see them. Since it was our first try at it and we still have plenty of time before we leave, I figured we could make a go of kayaking and see what animals pop up along our route. We put out first thing in the morning from the little beach at Harington Point. It didn’t take long before we started to see some wildlife, and we were able to get up close to many of them. It was truly delightful, flowing along at our own pace and interacting with the wildlife from the safety of our kayak.
First, a juvenile seal taking a break in the morning sun.
Then an adult, getting its scratch on.
Then some black-backed gulls and their chicks.
Then we had a couple of seals in the water by us. One of them warned us to stay away.
They had an interesting roll that they did when they swam. We assumed it was so they could see both in the water and out.
These guys were talking quite loudly.
Birds nesting up on the hill.
You can tell this is a frequent spot.
Couple of times we got swarmed by red-billed gulls.
More chicks.
On our way back to the beach, we actually saw an albatross drifting along the currents right above the water. It was a massive bird, similar in appearance to the black-backed gull. They actually rarely flap their wings, instead locking them in place to effortlessly glide the currents. Its flight was quite majestic. It was already upon us by the time we realized what it was, and by then I was too slow with the camera to get a photo and it didn’t swing by close enough again. Since we were already in the area, after stowing they kayak, we went up to a viewing platform to see if we could spot any more. We didn’t see any others, but we did see some other birds, even watching a black-backed gull swoop down and grab a red-billed gull chick!
These are called spoonbills.
Red-billed gull chick (don’t worry, this one only got fed, not eaten).
The wind was super strong over the cliffs. The birds would just hover in the air for a while before landing or flying away.
Next, we gave Sandfly Bay a go. Surprisingly, the bay was not named after the annoying insect, but rather after the blowing sand.
The wind made footprints disappear pretty quickly.
While walking to a rock to get sand out of my shoes, I almost walked right up to a seal! He had been reclining in the rocks and I didn’t even see him until he lifted his head. Rather than take a picture, I got out of the way, so as not let him feel threatened.
This brute walked up on the beach ahead of us. They have a funny gait!
Check out those flipperprints!
After that, it was time to head back into town and get some fuel.
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