Albatross Breeding Season Draws to a Close

Every year around mid-July comes a bittersweet time for our family farm. The Laysan albatross chicks, who we’ve watched grow from egg to awkward fledgling, will soon be taking off on a 3000 mile journey.

The albatross have made their nesting grounds on our land since long before we arrived in 1982. Every year, adolescent and adult Laysan albatross return to the place they were born to gather together, engage in courtship, and mate.

They’re an important part of our farm, reminding us of the power of home and family, the rewards of perseverance, and the ability of nature to design amazing things. We’re lucky enough to have two of nature’s gems, Laysan albatross and Noni fruit, in abundance on our land.

From Birthplace . . .

This batch of Laysan albatross hatched in late January, one egg to each pair of albatross. After their egg hatches, both the male and the female fly back and forth to the cold, rich waters off the coast of Alaska.

They eat and partially digest squid, fish, and other prey near the surface, and fly home to the chick. The chick eats the regurgitated stomach oil.

By the time mid-July comes around, the chicks have grown from 7 ounce balls of fluff to 4-5 lb juveniles. Their feathers have mostly changed from fluffy grey baby down to the black and white feathers of adults, although there are usually still some silly-looking tufts of grey feathers. This means they’re ready to fly.

Soon, this year’s chicks—including your favorite, Blossom—will take flight and begin their 3000 mile journey. At least one of the parents of each chick will return to Kauai for the last time this season. They’ll spend the day grooming their chick, getting all ready for the big takeoff. Then, when the Trade winds are high, the chicks will take off into the wind and start the voyage.

Their destination? The cold, squid-filled waters off the coast of Alaska.

Read the full version to learn about the journey to the Coast of Alaska

. . . and Back Again

No one is sure how these remarkable birds find their way home after so many years at sea, but every year near the start of winter, familiar breeding pairs return to the island. About a month later, they are joined by a number of juveniles who are ready to start looking for a mate.

Their accuracy is amazing. There’s another colony of Laysan albatross just a few miles north of us at Kilauea point, but these birds come back to our land, where they were born.

The juveniles watch the adults, and start slowly choosing mate. They mate for life, so it’s a very important decision! So far, the colony on our land has 19 breeding pairs, and the number is increasing all the time.

When the juveniles are about 7 years old, they return with the other breeding pairs and start mating for life. The whole cycle begins anew each season, and we feel so privileged to be witnesses to it.

We’ll keep you updated on the chicks—especially Blossom—and let you know when they start their journeys northward. We should still have a few weeks with them, and we plan to treasure every opportunity to appreciate these amazing creatures.