At sea, from South Georgia to the Falklands
Built for soaring above the open ocean, albatrosses are THE most fantastic flying machines. Able to lock their wings in place, they gently glide over the surface of the water using very little energy to cover incredible distances in their search for food. With a wingspan ranging from around six feet for the smallest, up to the massive Wandering Albatross at nearly twelve feet, they are masters of harnessing nearly any amount of wind to power their journey.
Sailing westerly towards the Falklands, all day today albatross were circling the ship. Black-browed Albatross were abundant, a few Grey-headed were around, but of course the show stealer was the Wandering. After visiting them on their nests at Prion Island, and witnessing their mesmerizing courtship dance, it was great to see them zooming along in their true environment. Females typically head north on feeding forays from the nest, traveling as far as the coast of Brazil while males normally head southwest towards the Drake Passage. On one feeding foray they may cover 7500 km and be gone from the nest for 10-14 days. It was a joy to be part of their life cycle.
Built for soaring above the open ocean, albatrosses are THE most fantastic flying machines. Able to lock their wings in place, they gently glide over the surface of the water using very little energy to cover incredible distances in their search for food. With a wingspan ranging from around six feet for the smallest, up to the massive Wandering Albatross at nearly twelve feet, they are masters of harnessing nearly any amount of wind to power their journey.
Sailing westerly towards the Falklands, all day today albatross were circling the ship. Black-browed Albatross were abundant, a few Grey-headed were around, but of course the show stealer was the Wandering. After visiting them on their nests at Prion Island, and witnessing their mesmerizing courtship dance, it was great to see them zooming along in their true environment. Females typically head north on feeding forays from the nest, traveling as far as the coast of Brazil while males normally head southwest towards the Drake Passage. On one feeding foray they may cover 7500 km and be gone from the nest for 10-14 days. It was a joy to be part of their life cycle.
