Petrel Colony Tours

Petrel Colony Tours is a is a non-profit educational venture conducted by Paparoa Nature Tours, established in 1987 and operated by Bruce Stuart-Menteath and Denise Howard.

Located near Punakaiki on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, our petrel viewing facility features the largest mainland burrow-nesting petrel, the Westland Petrel (Procellaria westlandica) on its only breeding grounds.

The Westland Petrel belongs to a family of pelagic seabirds, the Procellariidae, or otherwise known as tube-nosed seabirds, the largest being the Royal Albatross, with its wingspan of over three metres, and the smallest the tiny storm petrels the size of a sparrow.

Our viewing shelter is positioned within lush sub-tropical rainforest close to breeding burrows and sites that the petrels use for landing and taking off. Close views are normal so binoculars are not necessary.

Access is via a mixture of unformed track, walkway and boardwalk. The viewing shelter is within easy walking distance, but a level of fitness that can cope with the presence of stairways is required.

We offer two tour options, the sunset tour and the sunrise tour. They enable viewing of peak activity when the petrels can be seen flying in to the breeding grounds during the first hour after sunset, or departing back out to sea during the last hour before sunrise.