Known in birding circles simply as the 'WPO', this expedition incorporates many of the key birding areas in the South West Pacific. First offered in 2007, it is now considered one of the 'must do' expeditions for any birder because of its opportunities to see some of the rarest pelagic seabirds in the world, plus many island endemics. But it is not just for 'birders', the cetacean list can only be described as outstanding. If you ever tire of birding or cetacean watching then there are options for snorkelling, swimming and relaxing
Day 1: Auckland, New Zealand
Join Heritage Adventurer this afternoon in the heart of New Zealand’s
commercial capital, Auckland. The captain and expedition team will be
waiting to greet you on arrival and show you to your cabin. You will
have time to settle in and familiarise yourself with the ship; we will
also take the opportunity to introduce you to your expedition team and
our voyage plans. You are invited to join the expedition team in the
Observation Lounge and up on the Observation Deck as we set sail for
the Hauraki Gulf.
Day 2: Great Barrier Island and the Hauraki Gulf
We plan to spend this morning exploring the beauty of Great Barrier
Island. Defining the eastern extent of the Hauraki Gulf, this
beautiful island is largely forest covered and there will be
opportunities to explore ashore or join a Zodiac cruise. During the
afternoon we will sail into the Hauraki Gulf. Continuing northwards we
have had considerable success with finding the critically endangered
New Zealand Storm-petrel in the water of the northern Hauraki Gulf.
Other birds we might encounter include Buller’s Shearwaters,
Australian Gannets, Little Blue Penguins, White-faced Storm-petrel,
Grey-faced Petrel, Little Shearwater and Black Petrel. This evening as
we will be cruising along the east coast of the North Island, we will
undoubtedly be accompanied by some Albatrosses.
Day 3: Bay of Islands
Wake this morning in the beautifully protected and historic waters of
the Bay of Islands, after breakfast there will be an opportunity to
explore ashore where you might be fortunate enough to find local
endemics including saddleback and robins. We then bid our farewells to
New Zealand and set our course northwards, passing Cape Reinga this
evening.
Day 4: At Sea
Heading north to Norfolk Island, we will take the opportunity to
offer some lectures or presentations on seabird identification as well
as briefings on what we can reasonably expect to see once ashore on
Norfolk Island. Species that have been encountered on this leg
previously include Grey-faced, Black-winged, Kermadec and White-necked
Petrels. Both Wedge-tailed and Short-tailed Shearwaters, as well as
Whitebellied and White-faced Stormpetrels, and White Terns and
Red-tailed Tropicbirds have been recorded here.
Day 5: Norfolk Island
Upon arrival complete Australian customs, please note a visa may be
required. Norfolk Island was a former Penal Colony and the island has
been significantly modified, however, there are still some areas of
forest and that is where we will visit. The four species we are keen
to locate are the endemic Norfolk Island Parakeet, Slender-billed
Whiteeye, Norfolk Robin and Norfolk Gerygone. Other birds recorded
here include the Pacific Emerald Dove and Grey Fantail. By
midafternoon, we will say farewell to Norfolk and begin cruising
north. The birding will continue from the ship and we will be on the
lookout for White-bellied Storm-petrel, Providence Petrel and Little
Shearwater – all species we have seen previously in these waters.
Day 6: At Sea
It should be good ‘birding’ today especially for petrels which could
include Tahiti, Collared, White-necked, Providence and Kermadec
Petrels.
Day 7: New Caledonia
This small and tropical island has been described as a taste of
France in the Pacific, where Melanesian traditions blend with French
sophistication. New Caledonia is a fragment of the ancient
supercontinent of Gondwana, and it is believed that New Caledonia
detached and became an island tens of millions of years ago. It is
this isolation which explains both the extent of biodiversity and the
incredible levels of endemism on this delightful tropical island. We
plan to sail along the southern shores of New Caledonia this morning
and amongst the species we will be looking for is the New Caledonian
Storm-petrel. This intriguing bird was first found on the WPO
expedition in 2008 and has been seen several times since. Although
seemingly closely related to New Zealand Storm-petrel, there are a
number of important differences and it is now considered a long-lost
species collected in Samoa more than 200 years ago, and not seen
since! This afternoon we will leave Heritage Adventurer and head to
the forested slopes of Mount Koghi for the afternoon. This is often
the best place to find several specialities including New Caledonian
Goshawk, South Melanesian Cuckooshrike, Streaked Fantail, Southern
Shrikebill, New Caledonian Crow and New Caledonian Grassbird as well
as Striated Starling and Metallic Pigeon, before returning to the ship
and enjoying an evening in port.
Day 8: New Caledonia
We plan to depart from Noumea very early this morning to ensure we
arrive early to Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue. This reserve is
home to the unique Kagu, we hope to get good views of this
extraordinary bird as well as many other endemics and localised
species. These could include New Caledonian (Goliath) Imperialpigeon,
Cloven-feathered Dove, New Caledonian (White-bellied) Goshawk, New
Caledonian and Horned Parakeets, New Caledonian Myzomela, New
Caledonian Whistler, New Caledonian Crow, New Caledonian Cuckooshrike,
New Caledonian Friarbird, Crow and Barred Honeyeaters, Yellowbellied
Robin, Green-backed White-eye and Red-throated Parrotfinch.
Days 9 to 10: At Sea
As we head north from New Caledonia, new seabirds could include
Polynesian Storm-petrel, Tropical Shearwater, Providence Petrel,
Vanuatu Petrel, Collared Petrel and Tahiti Petrel. Our route should
also take us relatively close to the area where in 2019 we saw several
individuals of a mysterious petrel dubbed the ‘Heritage Lava Petrel’
which has so far defied identification. This is also time to catch up
with diaries, checklists and downloading of photos.
Day 11: Santa Ana, Solomon Islands
Santa Ana, also known as Owaraha or Owa Raha, is a relatively small
coral island which was first sighted by Europeans in 1568. Located
just a few miles offshore from Makira Island, Santa Ana is one of the
most easterly of the main islands in the Solomon Islands archipelago.
Santa Ana has a distinctive avifauna so we can expect to find an
interesting mixture of birds including small island species such as
Silver-capped Fruit-dove mixed with some of the Makiran endemics like
White-headed Fruit-dove, Sooty Myzomela, Makira Honeyeater, Makira
Flycatcher and White-collared Monarch. Santa Ana is also home to an
endemic and highly distinctive subspecies of Rufous Fantail and we
will also be looking for Sanford’s (Solomon) Sea-eagle and Oriole
Whistler.
Day 12: Anuta Island in the Makira Group
Makira Island is located in the eastern Solomons. It is the most
easterly of the main islands in the archipelago. Anuta is a small
inshore island on the south shore. We anchor close to Anuta and local
guides escort us along a former forestry road that winds up and inland
where there is still some decent forest. Here we can expect to see an
exciting range of new species including many which are either endemic
to Makira or otherwise only occur on a few other islands. These could
include White-headed Fruit-dove, Chestnut-bellied Imperial-pigeon,
Makira Honeyeater (San Cristobal Melidectes), San Cristobal Starling,
Makira Flycatcher, Makira Cicadabird, White-collared Monarch, Sooty
Myzomela and Mottled Flowerpecker. Other species could include
Redknobbed and Island Imperialpigeon, Brahminy Kite, Pied Goshawk,
Pacific Baza and Sanford’s (Solomon) Sea-eagle.
Day 13: Honiara
We will anchor off Honiara. It is an early morning departure from the
ship to take us into the forested mountains behind Honiara, here we
are on the lookout for a number of the many Guadacanal endemics. These
could include Ultramarine Kingfisher, Yellow-eyed, White-bellied and
Solomons Cuckooshrikes, Common Cicadabird, Chestnut-bellied and
Black-and-white Monarch, Steel-blue Flycatcher, Midget Flowerpecker,
Brown-winged and Singing Starling, Yellow-faced Myna, Olive-backed
Sunbird and the Black-headed Myzomela. There should also be numbers of
parrots and pigeons including the Cardinal and Yellow-bibbed Lory,
Singing and Eclectus Parrot, Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot, Ducorps’ Cockatoo,
Mackinlay’s Cuckoo Dove, Red-knobbed Imperialpigeon and
Claret-breasted and Superb Fruit-doves.
Day 14: Tetepare Island
Located in the New Georgia group of islands, Tetepare is an excellent
example of a community conservation project as the entire island has
been set aside as a community run reserve. Long and rugged, this
island is cloaked in lush tropical forests and fringed with reefs that
are teeming with marine life; it is the largest uninhabited tropical
island in the Southern Hemisphere. There are a number of new Solomon
endemics to look for here including the highly localised Dark-eyed
White-eye. Other possibilities include Melanesian Scrubfowl,
Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Island Imperial-pigeon, Buffheaded Coucal,
Crimson-rumped Myzomela, Cockerell’s Fantail, Kolombangara Monarch
and, if we are extremely fortunate, both the Nicobar Pigeon and the
extremely poorly known Solomons Nightjar.
Day 15: Kolombangara Island
Kolombangara is a dormant or semi-extinct volcano, 1,800 metres high
and last active probably about 10,000 years ago. Large tracts of this
impressive island have been protected by the local communities for
conservation, including almost the entire island above 400 metres,
there is also a significant sustainable forestry industry growing
mainly teak and eucalyptus at lower elevations. Birdlife is generally
plentiful and we hope to see the spectacular Sanford’s (Solomon)
Sea-eagle, Cardinal, Duchess and Meek’s Lorikeets, Kolombangara and
White-capped Monarchs, Crimson-rumped Myzomela, Ducorps’ Cockatoo and
Metallic and Singing Starling. We may also have an opportunity to look
for the elusive Roviana Rail during our time ashore. We complete
customs formalities here prior to departing the Solomon Islands
tonight.
Day 16: Off the coast of Bougainville
We are at sea today and our target bird is Heinroth’s Shearwater if
we haven’t already seen it. Our course takes us up the coast of
Bougainville before crossing a deep water canyon known as the New
Britain Trench. This area has proved very productive for cetaceans on
previous voyages and the species we have seen include Sperm Whale,
False Killer Whale, Fraser’s Dolphin and both Dwarf and Pygmy Sperm
Whales.
Day 17: Off the coast of New Ireland
Our target bird today is the critically endangered and poorly known
Beck’s Petrel. We begin chumming at day-break in an area where we have
found these birds on previous occasions. This area is also one where
we have previously found Heinroth’s Shearwater, so we will also be on
the lookout for this very localised species. This is another area
where a number of different species of cetaceans have been seen
previously including Melon-headed Whale and Dwarf and Pygmy Sperm
Whales.
Days 18 to 19: At Sea
Lazy and relaxing days at sea, you can bird from a number of
locations, download photos, write logs or notes, or simply relax in
the Observation Lounge or on the Observation Deck, with a drink in the
Bar and Lounge, or find a quiet place with a book. Our team will be
maintaining a constant pelagic watch for birds and mammals and you are
welcome to join them. There are a number of species including Bulwer’s
Petrels, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, White-tailed Tropicbirds, White and
Sooty Terns and both Great and Lesser Frigatebirds that we could see
and photograph.
Days 20 to 21: Caroline Islands
We will enter the protected (and historic) waters of the Chuuk (Truk)
Lagoon this morning. Once we are clear of Customs we will head ashore
and join the guides birding on the main island of Weno. There is a
good chance we can see species such as Purple-capped Fruit-dove,
Oceanic Flycatcher, Caroline Reed Warbler, Caroline Islands Swiftlet,
Caroline Islands White-eye, Micronesian Myzomela and Micronesian
Starling. The next morning there will be an option to take a long
Zodiac ride to Tol South Island where after a very demanding climb
(especially in the heat and humidity of these islands) there is a
reasonable chance of seeing the endemic Teardop (or Great Truk)
White-eye and Chuuk Monarch. Alternatively join our expedition guides
exploring the island of Dublon or take the opportunity for a snorkel
during the morning.
Days 22 to 25: At Sea
More lazy relaxing days at sea. Just remember, ‘God does not deduct
from one’s allotted life span time spent sailing’ so relax and enjoy.
The birding is quiet in these latitudes, but if you put in the time
there are some good sightings to be had. Birds that we may see include
Matsudaira’s Storm-petrel, Bonin and Bulwer’s Petrels, Wedge-tailed
and Bannerman’s Shearwaters. As we approach the Bonin chain of islands
we will keep a particular lookout for the newly described Bryan’s
Shearwater. This area is also good for cetaceans, especially Humpback
Whales which are known to occur here in reasonable numbers.
Day 26: Chichi-jima Island
We will complete Customs and arrive into Japan at the largest of the
Bonin Islands, Chichi-jima, before exploring the settlement and the
surrounding area. Birds that we may see include Japanese Bush Warbler,
Blue Rock Thrush, Browneared Bulbul and Japanese Whiteeye. During the
afternoon we will look for the critically endangered Bryan’s
Shearwater. This species is only known to breed on a small islet off
Chichi-jima and during our 2019 expedition several individuals were
seen as birds returned to their burrows prior to dusk. We should also
see good numbers of Bannerman’s Shearwaters which also breed here.
Day 27: Torishima Island
Landings are not permitted at Torishima Island, but we cruise close
to shore in the hope of seeing the Short-tailed or Steller’s
Albatross, the majority of the world's population of this vulnerable
species breed on this island. Other species that could be present
include Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses, Streaked Shearwater, and
both Tristam’s and Matsudaira’s Storm-petrels.
Day 28: Hachijō-jima Island
Located in the Izu Islands archipelago, Hachijo-Jima is a picturesque
subtropical volcanic island. The island’s two main mountains are the
volcanoes Mt Mihara in the south-east and Mt Nishi in the north-west.
The island is a major exporter of Phoenix aloe vera, so you may pass
numerous plantations of both. The island is home to the endemic Izu
Thrush, Ijima’s Leaf-warbler and Owston’s Tit. We will also look for
Japanese Wood Pigeon, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker and Japanese (Izu)
Robin. We will end our birding on the expedition by sailing close to
some islets where we hope to find Japanese Murrelet. Tonight we enjoy
a farewell and celebratory dinner with newfound friends.
Day 29: Yokohama, Japan
After breakfast and arrival formalities have been completed in to
Yokohama, we will disembark the vessel. There will be a complimentary
transfer from the ship to Yokohama City Air Terminal. We ask you not
to book any onward flights (Domestic or International) until
mid-afternoon to account for any delays and the time it takes to
travel to the airports.
Note:
During our voyage, circumstances may make it necessary or
desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary. This can include
poor weather and opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your
Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed.