June 19, 2020
Black-footed albatross couple, one of Hawaii’s three species. The two others are Laysan and Short-tailed Albatross. ©Susan Scott
Today is the first World Albatross Day, an international celebration of these magnificent seabirds.
Few people get to see albatrosses because nearly all species have been driven by ground predators to nest only on remote islands. But as usual, Hawaii is different. We can visit Laysan albatrosses, our most numerous species, at Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve on Oahu, and Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai. And once you’ve seen these gorgeous seabirds, you’ll be a fan forever.
I didn’t think much about seabirds during my early years in marine biology. But then I went to Midway, and albatrosses changed my life.
I first flew to the atoll in 1988 to write an article about the transition from a Navy base to a national wildlife refuge. As we approached the main island, I looked out of the airplane window and saw what looked like patches of snow. But no. The blotches were the heads and bodies of hundreds of thousands of Laysan albatrosses.