Amongst the clouds of midmorning, we arrived in Perseverance Harbour, the flooded crater of the once active volcanic caldera of Campbell Island. The island had a brooding feeling with a fierce wind sweeping over the tussocked hills. On board, we were busy breakfasting and completing biosecurity precautions to prevent contamination of the local flora and fauna. Our guests diverged with one group taking a long walk to the other side of the island, while the other group took a shorter walk followed by a Zodiac cruise to view the harbour’s amazing natural and historical features.
The day’s excursions went very well despite high winds that buffeted hikers on the ridgelines. Southern royal albatrosses soared everywhere, and we spotted many on nests across the island. We were on the lookout for the Campbell Island teal that was thought to be extinct until 1975. We spotted many alongside the Campbell Island snipe.
It was a joy to visit Campbell Island in the Southern Ocean. Some of us got to meet researchers posted on the island, offering them a break from their isolation. A big day was had by all after quite a lot of hiking. Everyone was in good spirits as we left the caldera and sailed north towards the main islands of New Zealand.
