Mark (from Capella Lodge) recommended that we take a pre-sunset walk from the lodge down to Little Island to see the Providence Petrels – it isn’t far and you’ll be back in time for pre-dinner drinks. Mark also suggested that we “call down” the petrels by making a sharp hooting sound which sounded like a good idea but we didn’t really expect it to work!

The track down to Little Island runs along the top of a series of little beaches and through small palm groves. As we get closer to the foothills of Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower we start spotting the circling petrels – there’s one, there’s another … hang on a minute … as we really focus and look we realise that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of petrels up there, soaring in the wind currents.

Once we reach the small clearing at Little Island we settle down on the grass to watch and supposedly call the petrels. A few “hoots” later and we are suddenly getting buzzed as petrels swoop down and over us, some slowing down for a good look and others coming in to land on the grass right beside us.

The longer we looked more petrels appeared and more and more swooped right in close. Gradually, those landing staggered off into the grass and palm trees to look for a cosy spot to spend the night.

We headed back to Capella as the sky darkened, stopping along the way to watch a magnificent sunset over the ocean. The gathering clouds on the horizon created some fabulous “alien light” with the swooping petrels silhouetted perfectly.

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