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Low Pass

At the end of the nesting season, a Laysan albatross makes a low pass over the beach and heads out to sea. It will wander for thousands of miles over open ocean using its remarkable olfactory acuity to locate surface forage at upwelling sites. Expending very little energy on flight, this mōlī efficiently uses dynamic soaring to skim the water, rising on the wind and descending forward by gravity acceleration. Bones lock into position requiring no muscle to keep the six foot wing span extended.

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Uploaded on April 23, 2022
Taken on April 21, 2022