Wild Personalities: Waved Albatross

There’s a dance party happening in Galápagos unlike any other in the world! On Isla Española, the southernmost island in the archipelago, thousands of waved albatross take part in a one-of-a-kind courtship ritual. The lively dance includes an array of steps—from beak fencing and head nodding to bowing, honking and sky pointing—all performed with precision as partners mirror each other’s moves. These behaviors pick up speed and sometimes on the crowded breeding grounds, the air becomes a spectacular frenzy of calls and motion.

The largest bird in Galápagos, waved albatross can appear comically awkward and gangly on land. But once they take to the air with their massive wingspans, they are in their element, gliding majestically over the open ocean for months or even years on end.

Watch the video above to see these soaring seabirds in action.