It was like an albatross around my neck...

Well, it finally happened. I finally convinced my boss that I should get to go out and see some albatross!

We have been studying sperm whales for about 5 years now. Sperm whales feed right along the shelf edge. We are studying them because they are taking fish off the lines of the longline fishermen and we are trying to solve this "little" problem (which is actually a big problem!) For these 5 years I have not had the opportunity to get out on the "big water" as I have a tendency for getting sea sick. NOTE: I am fine when medicated! My boss worries about me and won't let me go on these trips. They are multiple day trips and it would be quite terrible to be stuck out on a boat and be getting sick! For 5 years they have been bringing me back photos. Photos of sperm whales, photos of fish, photos of birds, photos of albatross! I feel like I have seen these birds already since I have seen so many photos of them, but I have never actually laid eyes on them, until yesterday.

There are 3 species of albatross that they see off the shelf edge. The most common is the black-footed albatross, less common are the Laysan albatross and the endangered short-tailed albatross. Yesterday was a great weather day. A little wind, but pretty calm, so away we went at 5:30 am. It takes about an hour and forty-five minutes to get to the albatross domain, but when we got there they came to check us out! I was so excited...and they are so big! We only saw the black-footed albatross, but that was fine. I have quite some time to get back out there and see the other 2 species. Maybe I will get to see them on their breeding grounds someday. You just never know!

Black-footed albatross

I also saw northern fulmar for the first time yesterday. Neat little birds, and they have all learned to be very opportunistic and skilled at getting guts from the fishing boats. We saw 20 bird species total and also marine mammals. I will list them below and add a few more photos. We did have to stop and take photos of the many humpback whales that were in the area, we are scientists after all!

• Northern Fulmar
• Black-footed Albatross
• Sooty Shearwater
• Cassin's Auklet
  
• Ancient Murrelet
• Marbled Murrelet
• Common Murre
• Pigeon Guillemot
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Pelagic Cormorant
• Tufted Puffin
• Rinoceros Auklet
• Black Turnstone
• Bald Eagle
• Glaucous-winged Gull
• Boneparte's Gull
• Black-legged Kittewake
• Fork-tailed Storm-petrel
• Mew Gull
• Herring Gull
  

Rhinoceros auklets in flight

Northern Fulmar

Herring Gull

Cassin's Auklet

Tufted puffin in flight

Sooty Shearwater

One of the many humpback whales we saw today.

Marine mammals we saw were humpback whales, harbor seal, sea otter, and Steller sea lions. All in all a pretty good day! We returned home around 2 pm, I finished work and went home and slept and slept and slept...