Northern Royal Albatross

Diomedea sanfordi, or Northern Royal's are massive, unique and rare seabirds. These albatross nest off the Otago Peninsula and only a few remote sub-antartic islands. The breeding colony here at Tairoa Head is pretty special though. It is the only mainland breeding colony of albatross in the entire world.

These birds are what we really come here to see on most days aboard the Monarch. Sitting back on the waves we can watch adults nest on the steep grassy hillsides of the head and juvenile birds posture to one another. Squinting out to the sea beyond it is even more fun to watch them skim over the open waves. With one of the largest wingspans of any bird in the world (3 metres) they are giants completely evolved for riding the roaring winds of the southern oceans.

Sometimes they skim right above or beside our boat and I'll snap photos like this one. Alas photos don't seem to capture the huge size, the screaming wind, rocking of the waves, and the smell of salt spray. Earlier in the week an adult hovered just meters away looking me in the eye from the bow of the boat. I swear he winked at me :)