Stewart Island Pelagic Birding — Ruggedy Range

Ruggedy Range runs 3-hour pelagic birding trips from Golden Bay Wharf on Stewart Island (Rakiura), venturing into the Titi Islands and Foveaux Strait — waters frequented by commercially fished Sooty Shearwaters (Titi) in their hundreds of thousands. The strait and surrounding subantarctic waters draw multiple albatross species year-round, including Southern Royal, White-capped, and Buller's Mollymawks, alongside Giant Petrels, Cape Petrels, and three penguin species (Little Blue, Yellow-eyed, and Fiordland Crested). Stewart Island's remote, fish-rich waters make it one of New Zealand's most atmospheric settings for pelagic birding, with guided trips led by Furhana Ahmad, one of the island's most experienced naturalist guides.