Pape’ete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Reefs & Volcanic Isles: Tahiti to Fiji
Pape’ete, Tahiti, French Polynesia to Lautoka, Viti Levu , Fiji March 31 – April 12, 2024
Captain Torry Sakkariassen
Discovery Leader Alice Forrest
Total Nautical Miles = 2218,7
1 – Pape’ete , Tahiti, French Polynesia (March 31)
2 – Bora Bora, French Polynesia (April 1)
3 – Aitutaki Atoll, Cook Islands (April 3)
4 – Palmerston Island, Cook Islands (April 4)
5 – Alofi, Niue (April 6)
6 ~ Crossing the International Date Line (April 8)
– Neiafu , Vavaʻu, Tonga (April 8)
7 – Vanua Balavu Island, Fiji (April 10)
8 – Levuka, Ovalau , Fiji (April 11)
9 – Lautoka, Viti Levu, Fiji (April 12)
Critter Club –
Wildlife Checklist
Reefs & Volcanic Isles: Tahiti to Fiji | March 31 – April 12, 2024
Order Anseriformes
Ducks, Geese and Swans Family Anatidae
Pacific Black (Gray) Duck Anas superciliosa X
Petrels and Shearwaters Family Procellariidae
Collared Petrel Pterodroma brevipes
Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata
Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea X
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica
Tropical Shearwater Puffinus bailloni
Order Phaethontiformes
Tropicbirds Family Phaethontidae
Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda X X X X
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus X X X
Order Pelecaniformes
Herons and Bitterns Family Ardeidae
Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra X X X X X X
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae X
Order Suliformes
Frigatebirds Family Fregatidae
Great Frigatebird Fregata minor
Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel
Gannets and Boobies Family Sulidae
Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
Red-footed Booby Sula sula
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
Order Accipitriformes
Kites, Hawks and Eagles Family Accipitridae
Fiji Goshawk Accipiter rufitorques X
Plovers Family Charadriidae
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Sandpipers and Snipes Family Scolopacidae
Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis
Wandering Tattler Tringa incana
Sanderling Calidris alba
X X X X
Gray-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes X X
Critter Club – Wildlife Checklist Reefs & Volcanic Isles: Tahiti to Fiji | March 31 – April 12, 2024
Order Accipitriformes (continued)
Gulls, Terns and Skimmers Family Laridae
Brown Noddy Anous stolidus X X X X X X X X
White Tern Gygis alba X X X X X X
Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus X
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii X X X X X X
Order Columbiformes
Pigeons and Doves Family Columbidae
Gray-green Fruit Dove Ptilinopus purpuratus X
Peale's Imperial Pigeon Ducula latrans X
Zebra Dove Geopelia striata X X
Cook Islands Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis X
Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis X
Order Galliformes
Gamebirds Family Phasianidae
Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus X
Order Apodiformes
Swifts Family Apodidae
White-rumped Swiftlet Aerodramus spodiopygius X X X
Order Coraciiformes
Kingfishers Family Alcedinidae
Pacific Kingfisher Todiramphus sacer X X
Society Kingfisher Todiramphus veneratus
Order Psittaciformes
Parrots Family Psittacidae
Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana
Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii
Order Passeriformes
Swallows Family Hirundinidae
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica X
Woodswallows Family Artamidae
Fiji Woodswallow Artamus mentalis X
Starlings and Rhabdornis Family Sturnidae
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis X X X X X X X
Critter Club – Wildlife Checklist
Reefs & Volcanic Isles: Tahiti to Fiji | March 31 – April 12, 2024
Order Passeriformes (continued)
Cuckooshrikes Family Campephagidae
Polynesian Triller Lalage maculosa X
Honeyeaters Family Meliphagidae
Western Wattled honeyeater Foulehaio procerioir X
Whiteyes Family Zosteropidae
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis X
Munis and Mannikins Family Estrildidae
Chestnut breasted munia Lonchura castaneothorax X
Bulbuls Family Pycnonotidae
Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer X X
MARINE MAMMALS
Oceanic Dolphins Family Delphinidae
Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis
Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin Stenella attenuata
Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris
Risso's Dolphin Grampus griseus
Short Finned Pilot Whale Globicephala Macrorhynchus
Pigmy Killer Whale Feresa attenuata
False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens
Sperm Whales Family Physeteridae
Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus
Sperm Whales Family Kogiidae
Dwarf Sperm Whale Ziphius cavirostris
REPTILES
Lizards and Snakes Order Squamata
Smooth-scaled Gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris X
Skink-like Lizard Cryptoblepharus boutonii X
Flat-Tail Sea Snake (Katauli) Laticauda schistorrhyncha X
Turtles and Tortoises Order Testudinata
Green Turtle Chelonia mydas X X X X
Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata X
Critter Club
–
Wildlife Checklist
Reefs & Volcanic Isles: Tahiti to Fiji | March 31 – April 12, 2024
Additional Amazing Wildlife Sightings
Blacktip Reef Shark Carcharhinus limbatus X X
Whitetip Reef Shark Triaenodon obesus X
Sting Ray Myliobatoidei X
Coconut Crab Birgus latro X
Common Crow Butterfly Euploea lewinii X
Cane Toad Rhinella marina X
Tropical Rock Crab Grapsus tenuicrustatus X
Giant Clam Tridacna gigas X
Christmas Tree Worms Spirobranchus giganteus X