Out In The Deep: Pelagic Birding Charter Log – 18 July 2026

Mid-winter off the Cape is when the deep water really comes alive. The cold fronts that keep most boats tied up are the very systems that push albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters in close enough to reach in a day, and 18 July delivered exactly the kind of session our birding guests travel a long way for. Below is the complete species log and trip write-up from the day, recorded at sea and published here unaltered.

The Pelagic Birding Trip Report – As Recorded At Sea

Date: 18 July 2026

Departure point: Hout Bay

Birds Seen On The Trip

  • Northern Royal Albatross
  • Shy (White-capped) Albatross
  • Black-browed Albatross
  • Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross
  • Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross
  • Northern Giant Petrel
  • Southern Giant Petrel
  • White-chinned Petrel
  • Spectacled Petrel
  • Pintado Petrel
  • Wilson’s Storm Petrel
  • Sooty Shearwater
  • Manx Shearwater
  • Cape Gannet
  • Cape Cormorant
  • Crowned Cormorant
  • White-breasted Cormorant
  • Hartlaub’s Gull
  • Kelp Gull
  • Swift (Greater Crested) Tern
  • Common Tern
  • Brown (Subantarctic) Skua

Non-Avian Distractions On The Trip

  • Cape Fur Seal
  • Humpback Whale

This pelagic birding charter report is provided by Trevor Hardaker of Zest for Birds, who guided the trip and compiled the sightings list. Trevor is one of southern Africa’s most respected seabird authorities, and his records from these charters form a valuable ongoing account of what is moving through Cape waters season to season.

Join Us On The Water

Our pelagic birding charters run out of Hout Bay, Cape Town, heading well offshore to the shelf edge where the seabirds concentrate. It is a short run from the harbour to genuinely deep water, which is a large part of why the Cape is regarded as one of the finest pelagic birding destinations anywhere in the world.

Aboard, you are in the hands of professional award-winning photographers who are also birding specialists – guides who can put you onto a bird and then help you get the shot, whether you are chasing a lifer, building a portfolio, or both. They know the species, they know the light, and they know how to work the boat so everyone gets a clear view.

Book your pelagic birding charter with us here at Deep Sea Fishing.co.za