The first brief encounter was with a Sooty Shearwater....
And the first of the usual glut of Stormies....
Then almost immediately, the star performer of the evening was Great Shearwater, in all at least five were seen!
An underwing pass.....
Followed by the upperwing display - awesome to watch - almost effortless and using the energy of the wind and updraft of the waves speed them along!
Once in a while, simply loafing on the sea!
The best display was quite late on and in the last few minutes of sunlight, this individual was circling the boat and coming to pieces of fish.
Surfacing after diving for food here (and avoiding the attentions of the large gulls!!
Perhaps my favourite approach - nearly head on and lit up in the dying rays of the sun. I can't decide which one I like best but one of these is destined for my twitter header!!
Maybe the most pointless shot of the day, cranked up to 2000 ISO and whilst it wasn't a spectacular sunset, the sea took on a purplish hue.... Look what was still with us, cruising in and around the wake!
I think everyone left the boat, smiling broadly. One of those idyllic evenings impossible to forget!
