Sanctuaries of Solitude
Gould’s Petrel only nests on two islands in the world. This is one of them.
Our small inflatable chugged across the slate grey seas towards the rocky shore of Boondelbah Island off NSW, into the shadow of sheer sea cliffs. We waited for a break between surges then motored up to the boulder-strewn beach, leaping ashore and swiftly unloading our gear before dragging the boat up onto the rocks, out of reach of the waves.
We were lucky that day. Few are allowed to set foot on Boondelbah or its neighbouring cabbage tree island, as together they comprise the entire known breeding colony of Gould’s Petrel (Pterodroma Leucoptera), an ocean-going bird known to range as far East as the Galapagos islands in search of food. Our task was to remove Lantana and Prickly Pears that threatened the nesting boxes of the newly established colony.
In the early 90s Goulds Petrel was in trouble. Numbers on Cabbage Tree island were plummeting due to an infestation of rabbits, which effectively removed the undergrowth and led to a number of flow on effects. Loss of cover meant increased predation of young Petrels by predatory birds, while the rabbits also directly prevented growth of the vegetation the Petrels depended on for nests.
As a last ditch effort, a conservation program was launched on the island. The rabbits were eradicated and predatory birds were culled, and with the discovery of several breeding pairs on Boondelbah island a parallel colony was encouraged with the use of nesting boxes and plant management. All of this proved to be a startling success, with breeding pairs increasing from 250 in 1992 to over 1000 in 2005.
This gave the Gould’s Petrel the distinction of being the first Australian bird to go from endangered status to vulnerable, proving that effective and responsive conservation efforts can make a real difference.
After a long day of trawling the steep gully for weeds, we motored back out through a growing chop that sent waves sloshing over the sides. Our little boat suddenly seemed very tiny even in the sheltered lee of Boondelbah, but we made it back to the charter vessel intact, although a little damp. Those same rough seas will give Gould’s Petrel the chance it needs to thrive, protected on it’s twin sanctuaries.
