The largest seabird inhabiting Darwin's enchanted isles is the waved albatross (Diomedea irrorata), which we are sad to see departing. This magnificent pelagic bird only ever lands to breed, and, except for five pairs that nest off the coast of Ecuador, the only island in the world where waved albatrosses nest is Española, in the southeast of the Galapagos archipelago.
Their season starts in May, and normally by the beginning of January they are all gone, including the year's batch, which will not return until they reach sexual maturity approximately five years later. It was thus a very pleasant surprise to find several on land during our hike. The last of the chicks were just finishing moulting, and we had the special treat of witnessing courtship among some of the birds back for the first time. This is undoubtedly my favourite show that the islands have to offer, and it is easy to spend hours just observing their funny antics!
