ALBATROSS ISLAND.

Albatross on chick. Large Albatross hovering overhead. Albatross wheeling around just before dusk. Albatross pair reinforcing bonds.
(Enlarged picture files are typically 40k to 100k)
Albatross Island is out in Bass Strait, off the NW corner of Tasmania. This area is exposed to the prevailing westerly winds all the way from South Africa, and consequently is not always easy to get ashore on. There are no beaches, just some fairly sharp rocks to seal-land on at the northern end. The best time of the year to go there is about January/February when the chicks are still in their nests. The last few years the weather has been extremely settled about the end of January. One trip (1996) was for nine days and the strongest wind we got was about 5kn.

Albatross Island is one of three known breeding stations of the White Capped Albatross (Diomedea cauta cauta). Their range appears to be the region bounded by the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. In 1973 it was estimated that there were 1,500 chicks - about twice as many as in 1960. They had been decimated in the early days of Australian history, along with the seals - which have disappeared altogether from the island.

Please take care not to interfere with these magnificent birds.

Map of islands off NW Tasmania.

This part of Tasmania is also extremly interesting because of the 3.5m tides, and associated fast currents, and very shallow water as shown by the dotted area. It is very easy to paddle to Kangaroo Is (the little one in the centre of the dotted area) and land just a few metres from the campsite at high water. At low water the tide goes out so far, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANY WATER. Black swans, pelicans, and large rays are numerous.

TIP: If you are paddling in this area and see a large group of swans on the water, keep well away from them - they are generally in about 10cm of water.

One of our visits, Xmas '87
Another visit, May '98
And again, December '99
 
 

Copyright Laurie Ford

This page last updated on 16 January, 2000