Southern ocean

NZ’s Sub-Antarctic Islands, Southern Ocean

In 2022, I joined Heritage Expeditions on a voyage to visit some of the most remote islands on the planet, New Zealand’s sub-antarctic islands. We spent 8 days aboard the ‘Spirit of Enderby’ and faced some typical Southern Ocean swells to reach these ecologically important lands, stopping first at Campbell island, then turning north to the Auckland Islands, and finally the Snares Islands.

These islands are important breeding grounds for wildlife such as the Southern Royal Albatross and Yellow Eyed Penguins, and many others seen in outrageous numbers on land and in the surrounding waters. Heritage Expeditions runs tours leaving from Bluff, NZ to give people a glimpse of an untamed world and the chance to learn about the flora, fauna, history, and ecology of these magical Islands.

Pest control has been ongoing over the years with the main problems being human-introduced pigs and cats, but the work is difficult due to the remoteness and rugged terrain. This is just some of the beauty to be seen here at the bottom of the world…

These Islands are the remnants of volcanoes, pushed up from beneath the sea floor. Large portions of the coastlines are sheer cliffs hundreds of meters high caused by the ocean eating away at the volcanic rock. Our first 2 days went smoothly, the ocean was calm and made for a nice introduction. As we approached Motu Ihupuku (Campbell Island), the cliffs seemed impenetrable but sailing further to the south East we entered a large sheltered bay. A welcome party of Shearwaters, Petrels, and Albatross glided around the ship, looking to feed on anything stirred up by the ship’s wake.

These islands were briefly inhabited by Maori, visited by European explorers, and boast the shortest-lived British settlement of ‘Hardwicke’ which lasted 36 months. They have been stations for whalers and sealers, used as a stopover for the Ross Expedition to Antarctica, and have been the final resting place of many ships and unfortunate sailors. Now only inhabited by flora and fauna, the islands serve as a haven for any wildlife that can stand the harsh environment.

Fewer than 200 people are allowed to visit these islands annually. The Expedition I joined in 2022 consisted of around 40 guests, an obvious allure for people looking to get off the regular tourist trail.

With its 3-meter wingspan, the Southern Royal Albatross is one of the largest flying birds that still survives today. These Southern Ocean waters are their feeding grounds and on Campbell and the Auckland Islands, they nest in large scattered numbers amongst the tussock. They whooshed over us without a single flap of the wing, using the wind expertly.

Facilitating travel to these islands to see these pterodactyl-like creatures up close is surely the best way to inspire people to care about their preservation. Education is key, for how can one care about something they know nothing about? Tour companies such as Heritage Expeditions, take pride in exposing clients to rare and endangered species at the edges of the earth and they also take care to emphasize their importance.

Seeing Albatross soaring alongside the ship and then walking among their exposed nest sites on the ground, we were aliens visiting a foreign world inhabited by calm, perfectly adapted beings. They seemed to know we came in peace, barely tilting their giant heads to acknowledge these tall, heavy passers-by. It was the same with all the creatures we encountered, completely ignored by some, calmly observed by others, and many would approach us for a closer look.

A traffic jam of Snares Crested Penguins on the famed ‘Penguin Slide’ of The Snares Islands. They lined up at the water’s edge until one of them plucked up the courage to jump into the waves, inspiring others to join in. At the same time, groups arrived going the other direction and started the seemingly impossible climb up to the vegetation to nest.