All Trips

Pelagic birding is birdwatching from a boat well offshore, out of sight of land, to see seabirds — shearwaters, petrels, storm-petrels, albatrosses, jaegers, and skuas — that rarely or never come within view of the coast. Trips typically run 4 to 12 hours and often use "chumming" (trailing fish oil and bait behind the boat) to draw birds in close for viewing and photography.

Pelagic Birding currently lists 118 pelagic birding trips across 29 countries, from single-day coastal charters to multi-day expedition cruises. Every listing is reviewed before it's added. Use the search box and country filter above to narrow the list, or browse by region.

Prices range from around $20 per person for a budget day trip in South America or Asia to $9,000+ for a multi-day expedition cruise to a remote destination like Svalbard or the Southern Ocean. Most single-day trips in the US, UK, and Australia fall between $50 and $450 per person. See our pelagic birding trip cost guide for a full budget-tier breakdown.

Waterproof, fog-proof binoculars, layered clothing (it's always colder and windier offshore than on land), seasickness medication taken the night before departure, a packed lunch, at least a litre of water, and a waterproof bag for electronics cover the essentials. See our full pelagic birding gear checklist for a complete packing list.

They can — pelagic trips go well offshore into open-ocean swell, and even experienced sailors sometimes get seasick. Taking motion-sickness medication the night before, staying on deck in fresh air, watching the horizon, and avoiding time below deck all reduce the risk. Most operators are used to it and keep sick bags on hand.

Use the search box above to search by trip name, operator, or departure port, or use the country filter to narrow the list to a specific country. You can also browse trips by region, or check the homepage's "Trips Near You" section, which uses your location to suggest nearby trips automatically.