Halobaena caerulea (Blue Petrel)

ICUN Status: Least Concern

I've seen this species six times since August 2021. Like many of the small petrels, the blue petrels generally don't come close to the boat. They fly past at a distance, without the opportunity to create a detailed image. In June of 2026 that changed. On this pelagic birding outing, multiple Blue Petrels approached and hung around the boat for literally hours.

In June the waters around Tasmania should be less than 11 degrees Celsius. On may pelagic, the water temperature was 16 degrees. According to both ecologists and locals, this has resulted in major upheaval of the food cycle. There has been a crash in bait fish populations, tuna runs and pelagic bird behavior.