Southern Giant Petrel Breeding Aggregation — Prince Edward Islands

About this spectacle

The Prince Edward Islands, lying far south in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean, host one of the world's most significant Southern Giant Petrel breeding colonies. Visitors — extremely rare, given restricted access — witness vast numbers of these large, imposing seabirds nesting across windswept tussock grass slopes. The birds arrive to claim territories, displaying courtship behaviours with outstretched wings and guttural calls that carry across the roaring wind. Chicks hatch in the austral summer, and the air fills with the wheeling forms of adults returning from oceanic foraging trips. The surrounding seas offer glimpses of albatrosses, fur seals, and the raw, untamed beauty of one of the planet's most remote and pristine wilderness islands. The sensory experience is dominated by constant wind, salt spray, and the cacophony of thousands of nesting seabirds against a backdrop of rolling grey-green ocean.

When to go

Nov — Feb

Getting there

Nearest airport: PLZ. Nearest city: Port Elizabeth.

Booking options

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