Photo by Hiroshi Hasegawa, © 1984. All rights reserved.
Short-tailed Albatross

            This beautiful adult Short-tailed Albatross is on its nest on the small, volcanic island of Tori Shima. Albatrosses spend most of their time at sea feeding on squid and gracefully sailing over the ocean swells. Because the young birds require parental care for many months after hatching, adult females lay only one egg every other year. This breeding strategy results in low potential for rapid population growth and recovery, but albatrosses are long-lived and have the potential to reproduce for decades once they reach sexual maturity at around five years of age. Thanks to the care and protection given these birds by Dr. Hasegawa, they have escaped extinction - barring a catastrophic volcanic eruption on Tori Shima.