A pelagic birding trip into the deep waters off the Cape Peninsula is enough to leave anybody's spine tingling.

Thousands of seabirds surrounding a trawler searching for scraps; an albatross sitting on the water almost close enough to touch… surely you don’t have to be a birder to be awed by such an experience?

I had been looking forward to our trip with Zest for Birds for months. We made an early start to reach Simonstown Harbour by 06:45am in time for a safety briefing by the guides aboard Zest ii, a 20m ex-Navy vessel that is well-adapted to conditions at sea.

The company is run by Trevor Hardaker and John Graham, both well-known to members of the birding community. Click here to check out the gallery.

Inspiring super-human eyesight

We immediately had a sense of what was to come as our chatter was drowned out by the cries of the gulls and Swift Terns that roost in the harbor. After which we encountered groups of Cape Cormorants and Cape Gannets combing the bay in search of an early-morning meal.

Amongst a group of Cape Cormorants John picked out a pair of Bank Cormorants, which are endemic to the west coast of South Africa and Namibia.

This super-human eyesight is so inspiring: “Oh look, juvenile Shy Albatross five hundred meters at three o’ clock heading right. Notice the grey on its head?” John shouted.

One of the other guides spotted a Manx Shearwater (uncommon in mid-winter) far from the boat, which I couldn’t see even with them pointing at it.

Feathered ocean pirates

The sun rose as we crossed False Bay heading past Cape Point, bathing everything in a soft morning glow.

Our first oceanic bird was a Subantarctic Skua, a pirate of the ocean which will land on a deck full of people if it thinks it can steal a morsel of food.

Birds are not the only creatures encountered on these trips. The raised deck is a perfect base for spotting other marine life like whales, dolphins and seals.

We saw several Humpback Whales just after rounding Cape Point (one even breached!), plenty of Cape Fur seals, a single Southern Right Whale and a Bryde’s whale on the return journey. Check out the gallery here.

Prepare your sea legs

We soon spotted White-chinned Petrels and Sooty Shearwaters racing over the waves, and a Shy Albatross was a treat to see too.

I saw a Black-Browed Albatross before I retreated to the stern with sea-sickness, despite taking pills the night before and on the day.

Lying down below deck with closed eyes helped but it was very disappointing to be missing out on the birds. I returned to the stern deck when I heard the excited shouting, usually managing to see the attraction, then quickly becoming ill again and hurrying back below deck.

Winter pelagic rewarded

The most sensational bird of the trip, the grand prize of any winter pelagic, was a Wandering Albatross.

Ours was a juvenile with chocolate brown plumage and a white ‘mask’ on the face and neck. It was bobbing on the water amidst a group of petrels.

Seeing it next to other birds, we saw how massive it was. It made the White-Chinned Petrels seem small! The highlight was when it took flight, gliding on its 3.5 meter wingspan, the largest of any bird in the world.

We also ticked off the tiny Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Antarctic Prion, Northern and Southern Giant petrel, Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua), an unseasonal Flesh-footed Shearwater, Indian and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross and the beautiful Pintado Petrel.

We skirted the rocks near the coast on the return journey, thereby seeing more Bank Cormorants. A Crowned Cormorant – another West coast endemic – ended the trip on a high note.

Things to note before you go:

A light lunch is served on board, but eight hours at sea is bound to work up an appetite so bring along your own snacks too.

Warm clothes and a waterproof layer are essential even if the day looks sunny and clear. Clear weather on land doesn’t guarantee clear weather at sea. Wind and swell mean spray which will get you wet even if it is a hot summer’s day.

Pelagics are run throughout the year, almost every weekend, and the species of birds you encounter depends on the time of year.

A Summer pelagic will yield a wider variety of birds in less numbers than the winter months; a Winter pelagic allows passengers to witness massive numbers of seabirds and a chance to see one of the great albatrosses.

No matter what season it is, you’ll tick off plenty of new birds on your first pelagic.

Click here for great package deals.

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