March 2022

This morning we lost one of the greatest seabird scientists, conservationists and petrel heads of the Southern Hemisphere – Kerry-Jayne Wilson.

What Kerry-Jayne achieved in her lifetime to protect all kinds of seabird species is tremendous – and if you haven’t heard about these achievements, it’s just a sign of how successful she was.

Generally, those conservation projects receive greatest recognition that keep critically endangered species on life support, often with no real perspective for a recovery. Kerry-Jayne’s work, however, focussed on ensuring that species did not even slip into this state of utter dependency of human intervention. Her invention of the fabled burrow flaps – a semi-clandestine operation past NZ notoriously broken permitting system – helped to restore the Chatham petrel from a critically endangered status in the early 2000s to a hugely improved vulnerable status with increasing population trends. She managed to inspire West Coast communities to care for their Westland Petrels and was one of the main instigators within the West Coast Penguin Trust to build miles and miles of penguin fence along sections of highway that were a death trap for countless little penguins.

Kerry-Jayne also was an integral part of the Tawaki Project, both in her support to get the work done but also in the field. And there is one story I will forever remember and take as an inspiration.

In October 2017, a team of three, Kerry-Jayne, Jeff White and I, were tracking tawaki in Harrison Cove, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi with GPS dive loggers. We had three units on penguins, and we were desperately trying to recapture the penguins to take the devices off. One bird –Yellow – had given us the slip for three straight days. While Jeff and I hid on the bushes near the penguins’ main landing site, Kerry-Jayne had assumed the role of the spotter scanning the bay with her binoculars for our bird. She relayed any arrivals to us via radio. We had already gotten back two of our candidates in the late afternoon, but Yellow again was a no show. We waited patiently. Penguins arrived, hopped out of the water, preened, and waddled off into the forest. But not Yellow.

Just after 8pm, my radio crackled, and I heard Kerry-Jayne’s voice saying: “There she is. At the far end of the rocks.”

Far end of the rocks? What was that supposed to mean? It’s far too steep for a bird to get out there. So, I answered: “Say that again? Did you say ‘far side of the rocks’?”

“Yep. Saw her come out there.”

“Impossible! Where? You sure?”

“Pretty sure. But if you stand around questioning my eyesight, she won’t be there much longer.”

I looked at the rocks, basically just a series of near vertical granite slabs that disappeared in the clear waters of the fjord. How was I supposed to get round there? And how on earth did she spot Yellow in there?

“Okay, I’m going”, I said. But when I arrived at the rocks and faced the prospect of having to climb around these slippery monsters with a greater chance of ending up in the water than making it around them I raised my radio and said “Kerry-Jayne, are you really sure? I mean how…”

“Just keep fucking going!”

And so against what I perceived as my better judgement, I started climbing, digging my finger tips into tiny cracks in the rock clinging on for dear life. I’m not a big free-climber, so it was a terrifying experience all around.

I reached a tiny ledge and could not believe my eyes. There was Yellow. And by the looks, Yellow was just as surprised to see me. When I picked the penguin up, she gave me a nasty bite that let me scream out loud in pain, my cry echoing over the still water of the cove.

With the penguin still pinching my hand hard making my eyes water my radio crackled again.

“Fucking told you so.”

Oh yes, you did. Not only did I survive the climb, but we got the bird and our device back. If there’s rocks in the way to your goal, you gotta do what you gotta do.

You just keep fucking going.

We will, Kerry-Jayne. When we sail towards penguins islands in the future, I will keep an eye out for you gliding with your beloved seabirds over the waves of the vast beautiful ocean.

Glide on forever Kerry-Jayne. Your friend, Thomas.