Albatross

At an ocean trench off Rotto
Where the sea is very deep
And the icy Southern Ocean
And the Leeuwin Current meet
You will find the wanderer
On winter time retreat

Skimming over wave tops
With the rhythm of the sea
His graceful soaring flight
Is marvellous to see
With rigid wings unmoving
Defying gravity

The Perth Canyon is a 1,300 m deep trench cutting inot the continental shelf 20 km west of Rottnest Island. It is well known for game fishing, Pygmy Blue Whales and southern ocean seabirds that migrate northwards in the southern winter. High productivity is supported by a localised upwelling of cold nutrient rich water at the eastern end of the trench. This upwelling is driven by the Leeuwin Current which paradoxically inhibits upwellings along much of the Western Australian coast and is responsible for the relatively low productivity of Western Australian fisheries dcompared to those on the western side of South America and Africa. The warm and nutrient poor Leeuwin Current is also responsble for the extension of coral reefs as far south as Rottnest Island. As the current swings westwards over the Perth Canyon it drives cold nutrient rich deep water from bottom of the Canyon into the photic zone to trigger blooms of phytoplankton which in turn support masses of krill. These in turn feed Pygmy Blue Whales that congregate in the area during summer and Humpback whales which pass through the area on their way to and from their tropical winter calving grounds. The Perth Canyon is a fabulous fishing spot that is coming under increasing pressure from an expanding long line fleet that currently operates with 5 million hooks. In Winter it is a feeding ground for pelagic seabirds such as Albatross and Petrels retreating northward from the stormy Antarctic Winter. The Perth Canyon and its marvellous fishing and wildlife are still a fairly well kept secret but charter operators are increasingly running charters to the area. If you get the chance to go you should do so. Alternatively why not get some friends together and charter your own boat. Marvellous!