Black-footed Albatross
Phoebastria nigripes

I've taken two pelagic seabirding trips out of Westport, Washington, and perhaps what I remember most about the trips is the sight of hundreds of Black-footed Albatross, coming in close to feed on the chum we drop behind the boat. I found it humbling to be in close proximity to such a prolific ocean traveler, all the more remarkable by the vast numbers of birds present- over 800 of them spotted on one trip!  


The magnificent flight of the Black-footed Albatross.

The image above is the best I could procure of the albatross in flight- the full video gives a much better picture of the graceful glide of this species. Below are several images of the birds afloat- I was hard-pressed to choose between them, so thought it best to simply offer all 3 images for your viewing pleasure!  


The sun gleaming next to a Black-footed Albatross.

A nice close-up of the Black-footed Albatross.

A trio of Black-footed Albatross.

On one trip a Blue Shark was drawn in by the chum we were putting out- the video is amusing, showing birds jumping as the shark passes beneath them. The image below shows the shark about to pass under an albatross, with Northern Fulmars and California Gulls also in the picture.  
A Blue Shark approaches an unsuspecting Black-footed Albatross.

Elsewhere on this site: Washington to Panama Journal, 2003.

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