Albatross Photography

I had the opportunity to spend time on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Laysan Albatross is the most famous resident there, along with many other bird species, monk seals, and sea turtles. It is a place where time stops and one has time to ponder the meaning of life. Laysan Albatross and other avifauna are under threat from sea level rise, plastic pollution, and mice infestations. There is a project underway, which has been successfully translocating chicks from Midway into a protected area in Hawaii, to establish a new colony on higher ground. Nearly two million birds of 19 species nest on Midway. The atoll has the largest Laysan albatross colony in the world. Other birds include black-footed albatross, red-tailed tropicbirds, white terns, black and brown noddies, shearwaters, and Bonin petrels. One of the rarest visitors is the endangered short-tailed albatross. During World War II, Midway served as an important naval air station and submarine refit base. The atoll was attacked twice, first on December 7th, 1941, and again during the pivotal Battle of Midway, June 4th-6th 1942.