PELAGIC MAGIC (almost finished)
The Pacific Ocean may seem like a giant void at times, but that is just an illusion. The ocean is alive with marine life below the surface and replete with avian life above. When the food is served, the party is on and thousands of feathered guests suddenly materialize out of the ether. Most noticeable are the magnificent giant albatrosses followed by an array smaller birds from shearwaters and fulmars to the tiny storm-petrels and phalaropes. These are the pelagic birds that only return to land for the breeding season. For some that may mean five or more years without setting foot on terra firma which is the time it takes some to reach sexual maturity. To survive in an environment of salt water, these birds have special adaptations like tube noses that allows them to excrete excess salt while retaining the fresh water required for life.
ALBATROSSES
The most amazing pelagic species are the giant albatrosses with massive wingspans of up to 11.5 feet which allow them to glide effortlessly for thousands of kilometers in search of food. According to BBCEarth some have been known to travel 16,000 km on a single wingflap. Albatrosses are usually long-lived especially if they can avoid longline fish hooks, dragnets, plastic debris, and toxic garbage. Unfortunately, It is estimated that fishing fleets kill over 100, 000 albatrosses a year. Of the 22 species of albatross, 15 are considered endangered. Normally, an albatross can live to 60 years, and the oldest known in 2025 was a banded female Laysan that was 74 years old. In that time she had laid over 50 eggs. Albatrosses usually remain at sea until they are sexually mature and ready to mate. That can take up to 5 years, but when mating finally happens, intricate courtship dances mark the occasion for the lifetime partnership.
above - The Laysan Albatross is found mainly in the north Pacific Ocean. It nests on islands off Mexico, Hawaii, and Japan and wanders north as far as Alaska in search of food. Like many other albatrosses it is threatened by long-line fishing and plastic debris it mistakes for food. It generally feeds at night on cephalopods, crustaceans, fish eggs, and debris from fish processing boats. Immature birds remain at sea for about 5 years until they are sexually mature and ready to find a mate. They don't usually reproduce successfully until 6 or 7 years. The Laysan is common but not abundant off Vancouver Island.
below - The most abundant albatross off Vancouver Island is the Black-footed. Hundreds will show up following fish processing boats waiting for fish by products debris to be dumped into the ocean. Otherwise, it uses its keen sense of smell to locate natural food especially squid and fish. Many albatrosses have intricate mating rituals and the Black-footed is no exception. Along with its choreographed head movements it also produces a series of weird sounds like mooing, braying and whinnying.
The Black-footed is slightly larger than the Laysan with a wingspan of 84" and a weight of 7.0 pounds. It breeds mainly on the Hawaian islands with a few smaller colonies south of Japan. It is one of the endangered albatrosses with a population listed at approximately 130,000. Tragically 4,000 to 7,000 continue to be lost annually because of longline fishing, plastic pollution, and habitat loss.
Most of the Black-footed breed around the Hawaian Islands, but there are also a few small colonies on the islands south of Japan.
SHEARWATERS
Shearwaters are another bird with excellent soaring capabilities. They are only half the size as the albatrosses but their long narrow wings also allows them to glide effortlessly over the waves. Shearwaters average 30 to 45 cm in length with wingspans 70 - 90 cm wide. They have dense , waterproof plumage that allows them to dive up to 30 m in pursuit of food. Like other tubenoses, they have nasal salt glands that allow them to excrete excess salt from the sea water they ingest with their food. The most common shearwaters seen off Vancouver Island are the Sooty, Short-tailed, and Pink-footed. The Flesh-footed is a relatively rare visitor to the west coast of Vancouver Island.
above - The Pink-footed Shearwater is usually abundant off Vancouver Island and like the Buller's it is a white-bellied shearwater. It nests on small islands off Chili and distributes mainly off the west coast of North America as far as Alaska. It often feeds in groups associated with other shearwaters and seabirds where food is plentiful during upwellings of fish and squid, and it also forages for fish scraps behind fish processing boats. Population threats include longline fishing and introduced mammal predators near their nesting sites.
above - The Flesh-footed Shearwater nests on small islands around New Zealand. Unfortunately, their populations are decreasing because of conflict with fishermen (long-line, gillnet, and trawl) and the ingesting of plastic debris mistaken for foood. The adults regurgitate the food and plastic into the chicks often with tragic results. Autopsies of dead juveniles have revealed an alarming amount of plastic lodged in the stomachs of the bird. The plastic provides a double whammy by restricting the amount of real food the bird can digest and by leaching toxic chemicals into the birds. For some unknown reason, the Flesh-footed seems to ingest more plastics than other shearwaters.
After the breeding season the Flesh-footed usually distributes in the southern hemisphere but some wander into the north Pacific. Although considered fairly rare off Vancouver Island, I was able to record several sightings on my first pelagic trip in June 2006 and my second in September 2010. Although it normally dives for fish and squid, on both trips it was observed with the jaeger behavior of trying to pirate food from gulls and other sea birds.
A Short-tailed Shearwater? It does have a steep forehead and maybe a smallish bill, but one can never be certain. Anyway, if it is a Short-tailed, it is common around Australia and New Zealand and into the North Pacific from California to the Bering Sea and Asia. It nests in burrows on mainland Australia and nearby offshore islands. It is quite abundant offshore of Vancouver Island during the summer and early fall.
A Sooty Shearwater? It looks to have a shallow forehead, longish bill, and fairly extensive underwing silver slash. Anyway, if it is a Sooty, it nests around Australia, New Zealand, and South America and distributes all over the world. It is often the most abundant bird off California and large concentrations have been seen off Vancouver Island.
NORTHERN FULMARS
The Northern Fulmar is a stocky, broad-winged seabird with a circumpolar presence in the northern hemisphere. Its most distinctive feature is its cracked bill that appears to have been crushed by collision with a rock wall. However, despite its looks the bill works well for excreting excess salt and sensing squids, fish, and crustaceans. Fulmars nest on rocky cliffs and defend their nests from predators by projectile vomiting a vile smelling fluid at any unwelcome guests. After nesting they spend the rest of the year far out at sea, and are rarely seen from shore.
JAEGERS
Jaegers nest in the Arctic where they survive on lemmings and bird eggs. After nesting they distribute far and wide over the oceans as far as Australia and New Zealand. At sea they are quite capable of catching fish on their own, but when opportunity is available their kleptoparasitic tendencies prevail much to the displeasure of gull, terns, and kittiwakes. The three jaeger species from largest to smallest are the Pomarine, Parasitic, and Long-tailed, and they are commonly seen off the west coast of Vancouver Island. During the fall they can also be seen passing over the Salish Sea where they enjoy harassing Bonaparte's gulls for a free meal.
above - The Pomarine Jaeger is the largest of the three jaegers with a body length of up to 22 inches. It uses its size rather than speed to bully other seabirds in relinquishing their prey, and doesn't hesitate even if its target bird is larger like shearwaters and fulmars. On the breeding grounds the Pomarine's preferred food is brown lemmings, but it also predates shorebirds, ducks, and ptarmigan. Like all jaegers the Pomarine has light and dark morphs but can easily be identified by its elongated blunt tail feathers.
The Parasitic Jaeger is slightly smaller than the Pomarine and is noted for its speed especially when it is attacking other seabirds at sea. On the nesting grounds it main diet is other birds and eggs.
The smallest jaeger is the Long-tailed, but despite its size it is fearless in attacking other birds to steal their prey. On the nesting grounds it feeds mainly on lemmings and birds eggs.
This parasitic jaeger was preparing to attack an unwary gull. However, not all attacks have the same outcome. On this occasion two gulls came to the assistance of the victim and the jaeger left without its meal.
The South Polar Skua is not a jaeger but posses the same kleptoparasitic disposition. It is also fearless and will attack larger birds like boobies. Unlike the jaegers, the skua nests in Antartica.
STORM PETRELS
Storm petrels are among the smallest pelagic birds ranging in size from about 6 to 10 inches. They are usually gray or brown, and northern species have forked tails, short legs and long toes. They forage by swooping over the water, and sometimes landing on the water. They nest in colonies with burrows dug in soil or crevices on offshore islands.
The Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel measures about 8.5 inches long and has a wingspan of about 19 inches. It is found mainly in the north Pacific and nests on offshore islands from Japan to California. It has a very keen sense of smell and is usually one of the first birds to arrive at a food source. It ingests the oil from the food source and reguritates it for the young.
The Leach's Storm-Petrel is one of the most abundant seabirds in the northern hemisphere. Around the Pacific Ocean it breeds on offshore islands from Japan to California and only goes to the nest burrows at night to avoid predators. At sea it is usually a loner while searching for plankton and fish. The oldest known Leach's is over 35 years.
GULLS, KITTIWAKES, TERNS, AND PUFFINS
above - The attractive Sabine's Gull is the same size as the Bonaparte's with a length of 13.5 inches and wingspan of 33 inches. Its distinctive yellow-tipped black bill is unmistakable. It nests on the tundra along the shorelines of Alaska and the Canadian Arctic and feeds on insects. When nest sites are threatened by predators the Sabine's uses the shorebird decoy strategy of faking injury to distract the predator and lead it away from the nest. The Sabine's is common off Vancouver Island during the summer and early fall but migrates south to Central America for the winter.
above - Black-legged Kittiwake is slightly smaller than a Short-billed Gull. At 17 inches it is slightly longer than the Short-billed but its 37 inch wingspan is no comparison to the 43 in of the Short-billed. It nests in colonies on cliffs in the north Pacific, north Atlantic, and the Arctic. It distributes offshore along the coast from northern BC to Central America for the winter. It is not unusual to see them from shore and some have been occasionally found on the shores of Vancouver Island.
Tufted Puffin
Arctic Tern
HOW TO SEE PELAGIC BIRDS
Pelagic birds can occasionally be seen from shore but the best experience is on a fish boat or pelagic tour boat. There has been more interest in pelagic tours in the past couple of years and trips are available out of Tofino and Port Hardy. As of Jan. 2/26 there does not appear to be any schedule out of Tofino tours yet, but keep your eyes on https://www.tofinowhalecentre.com/pelagic-bird-watching-tour or https://www.jamies.com/tofino-pelagic-wildlife-tour/. Both operators list pelagic tours as part of their programs. Port Hardy does have trips scheduled for 2026. Check https://coastalrainforestsafaris.com/birding-tours/ for their dates, rates, and details. The preceding trips are all on small open boats and are always dependent on weather conditions. Yes, it's a long drive with no guarantee that the trip will happen.
Regular trips are run out of Westport WA but are extremely popular and booked up well ahead of time. Check out westportseabirds.com. Their website is full of information including trip reports from 2021 to 2025. Their 50' boat is suited for photography and rougher weather conditions. The price is reasonable, and they are now taking bookings for 2026.
A third option is aboard the comfort of a Cruise ship. There are companies that actually run birding tours on cruise ships. One example is https://wingsbirds.com/tours/cruise-pacific-coast-in-spring that runs tours on repositioning trips from San Diego to Vancouver. Your mouth will drool when you read about the pelagic birds seen in their trip reports.
Feeding frenzy of Black-footed Albatrosses cleaning up the fish waste product dumped from a fish processing ship.
Sunset on the Pacific ...