Advances in technology are allowing us to learn that birds can travel huge distances under their own power. Very light GPS tracking equipment – less than 1.5 grams – can be used to track birds without hampering their flights.
Biologists who fitted GPS trackers to the aptly named wandering albatross have discovered that these large birds can travel at least 15,000 km (just under 10,000 miles) over the sea before returning to land. That’s like flying non-stop from Houston, Texas to Perth, Australia. Many commercial jets cannot do that!
Houston to Perth
Even more amazingly, the wandering albatross seems to be able to stay in the skies above its Southern Ocean habitat for as long as it wants to, only needing to flap its wings every few hours. And what incredible wings they are – at a span of 3.5 meters, (11.5 feet) – the wandering albatross’s wings are the longest of any bird currently on Earth.
The albatross flies so efficiently that it uses less energy in flight than when it’s sitting on dry land!
Albatrosses soar with amazing prowess over the Southern Ocean using a flying technique called dynamic soaring. Dynamic soaring allows albatrosses to tap into the energy of the wind and can be used when the wind speed is higher than 30 km per hour, or 18 mph – which it usually is.
Around the World in 80 46 Days
In 1873, the French writer Jules Verne wrote his famous novel in which Phileas Fogg of London attempts, against all odds, to get ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ after a newspaper makes the claim that it should be possible to make a complete circuit of Earth in eighty days. Fogg accepts the challenge and, after many adventures, succeeds by the skin of his teeth.
The challenge would not have been a problem for an albatross. In fact, a gray-headed albatross was recorded making a complete circuit of our planet in just 46 days.
A wandering albatross above the ocean. Image by Charlie Westerinen.
We now know that the wandering albatross only comes to dry land when it is time to breed. Once a chick leaves the nest, it may stay at sea for as long as five years.
Albatrosses are long-lived birds, and can live to more than 60 years of age. Sadly, their numbers are declining because of long-line fishing boats. Baited lines up to 130 km (80 miles) in length are pulled behind boats. The albatrosses are attracted to the bait, then get caught on the lines and drowned.
The wandering albatross was first recorded by the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Linnaeus also gave the bird its Latin name, Diomedea exulans.
During my USNavy career and having a couple trips to the Persian Gulf Police Action we had an Albatross follow us from the Gulf, through Australia, along with us to Pearl Harbor where it left us as we then continued to San Diego.
How many miles from Bahrain to Hawaii is research I’m not in the mood to find out but, let’s face it…. that thing had a culture shock in the positive once it settled in Hawaii ! I know I would!
Some creatures lives seem so much more interesting than what we humans get to endure… Not really complaining, but nevertheless a little envious.
Many long-range flight birds also sleep in short 10-15 second bursts while airborne! (Only 45 minutes a day) Their brains have the ability
to go to sleep partially so one half remains awake. They use this “half-brain” method for avoiding midair collisions or predator detection. Now that’s what I call “power-napping”!
And, of course, these “international watchers” are to be supplied (recruited, trained, transported, paid and financed) by who? I’m afraid that solution is a bit simplistic although I am for it 100%! Maybe, positive, more doable steps can offer help in the meantime. For starters possibly further limiting fishing line lengths, fishing seasons and quotas. That certainly won’t solve the problem but might help until a real, full, attainable and sustainable solution an be reached that takes into account the beautiful albatross and the human fisherpersons.
Albatrosses are awesome. I’ve been buying tuna because it says on the can it was caught with a line not nets. I won’t be buying it again.
Geesh and I love tuna but I didn’t know that…guess I won’t be buying anymore either… cause the Albatross is an amazing bird at that…!!!
of course it should be illegal for any hunter, trapper, or fisherman to take wild creatures without knowing when and how many it captures. Taking too many or any threatened species by any means should clearly be punished so strictly that no individual or company would take the chance of doing it when they believe they are not being watched. Of course they should be watched by international observers at all times.