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title: "ACAP meeting attendees brave the weather to watch giant petrels at sea in Uruguay"
---

# ACAP meeting attendees brave the weather to watch giant petrels at sea in Uruguay

Over the weekend between meetings of ACAP’s working groups and Advisory Committee being held this month in Punta el Este, Uruguay, three brave north-hemisphere attendees went to sea after ACAP-listed seabirds in damp and misty weather.

 José Manuel “Pep” Arcos (Spain), Beth Flint and Mi Ae Kim (both USA) went out for a few hours last Saturday on the tourist vessel *Sea Warrior* towards the offshore [Isla de Lobos](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_de_Lobos) nature reserve (part of the Coastal Islands National Park) about eight kilometres south-east of Punta del Este where [South American Sea Lions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_American_sea_lion) *Otaria flavescens* were observed.

 In the vicinity of the island good views – and photographs – were obtained of both species of giant petrels *Macronectes* spp., but unfortunately no albatrosses were seen.

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/ACAP Ingles 2.jpg)

  

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/Pep Arcos.jpg)

 The *Sea Warrior* in the harbour at Punta del Este

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/Southern Giant Petrel juvenile Pep Arcos Uruguay s.jpg) 

 A juvenile Southern Giant Petrel flies by

  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/Northern Giant Petrel Pep Arcos Uruguay - Copy.jpg)

 Northern Giant Petrel in the water

 Photographs by Pep Arcos

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/AC8 excursion Arcos Kim Flint Jordi Prieto.jpg)

 Mi Ae Kim, Pep Arcos and Beth Flint smile for the camera aboard the *Sea Warrior*

 Photograph by Jordi Prieto

 Southern Giant Petrels *M. giganteus* breed on the United Kingdom’s [Gough Island](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1322-acap-breeding-sites-no-11-gough-island-south-atlantic-hanging-on-against-the-onslaught-of-its-killer-mice) and on a few Argentinian islands (such as [Isla Gran Robredo](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1587-acap-breeding-site-no-54-isla-gran-robredo-argentina-where-southern-giant-petrels-breed-without-shade)) in the South Atlantic but Northern Giant Petrels *M. halli* in Uruguayan waters would have to have come from islands in the Southern Ocean farther south.

 With thanks to Pep Arcos and Jordi Prieto for the photographs and all three participants for information on their trip.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 September 2014*