While there are countless reasons to visit the Galápagos Islands, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see Waved Albatrosses nesting. Sharing the trip with family and friends made the experience even more special. The majority of the nesting of these endangered birds occurs on Española Island, with a two small colonies on other islands. Waved Albatross usually breed every second year when they find their lifetime mates on this island from April to June. They live separately between nesting seasons, searching the oceans far for food. When the nesting instinct arises, they return to Española. The parents share the work of building a nest, producing and incubating an egg, feeding a chick and preparing for fledging—a sevenmonth commitment. The intriguing courtship and rituals continue for the duration, with displays of affection, beak-rubbing and choreographed dances. When each chick matures and takes flight, the parents depart, returning again in approximately 17 months. Our naturalist guided us along a narrow trail winding through the nesting colony of these magnificent birds with their 7-foot wingspan. We were immersed in their world of clacking of beaks, calls to each other and wooing with swaying dances. We literally stepped over birds nesting on the path as they ignored us. While this was just one day in a spectacular week in the Galápagos Islands, these extraordinary memories will last a lifetime.

Vince Lamb
Galápagos Islands, 2018