A Laysan Albatross found on the Columbia River in February was released from the back of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Cape Flattery Wednesday after spending a month at a wildlife sanctuary in Lynnwood. (Courtesy photo / USCG Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier)

A Laysan Albatross found on the Columbia River in February was released from the back of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Cape Flattery Wednesday after spending a month at a wildlife sanctuary in Lynnwood. (Courtesy photo / USCG Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier)

Albatross released off Cape Flattery after surgery

Rare in coastal waters, bird needed a hand getting home

NEAH BAY — Wildlife rescuers released a Laysan Albatross off the coast of Cape Flattery after the bird was found up the Columbia River near Longview last month.

The albatross — one of the largest flying seabirds — was released into the wild on Wednesday though a joint effort by the state Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Progressive Animal Welfare Society in Lynwood.

It was found by a harbormaster in Cowlitz County on Feb. 13. No one knows how or why it got there as the birds spend most of their life at sea, according to Jen Mannas, a wildlife biologist with Fish and Game.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“We don’t typically see them inland, so it’s odd that he was found on the Columbia River,” Mannas said.

The bird was turned over to the Cowlitz County Humane Society who called Fish and Game, and Mannas arranged to have the bird taken to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS, in Lynwood, which has the facilities to take care of sea birds.

Once at the center, the bird underwent surgery to repair a lacerated throat with exposed bone. After the bird was rehabilitated, Fish and Wildlife wanted to release the bird at sea but didn’t have boats large enough to get far enough off the coast to do so.

Fortunately, a U.S. Coast Guard crew was able to make the journey out to sea to release the bird, Mannas said, and on Wednesday a cutter left from Port Angeles with the bird on board.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Jen Mannas helps to release a Laysan Albatross from the back of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Cape Flattery on Wednesday. The bird was found on the Columbia River in February and spent almost a month at an animal rehabilitation center in Lynnwood before being released. (Courtesy photo / USCG Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier)

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Jen Mannas helps to release a Laysan Albatross from the back of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Cape Flattery on Wednesday. The bird was found on the Columbia River in February and spent almost a month at an animal rehabilitation center in Lynnwood before being released. (Courtesy photo / USCG Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier)

With help from the USCG cutter Osprey, Mannas and PAWS naturalist Anthony Denice traveled off the coast of the Olympic Peninsula to the underwater Juan De Fuca Canyon, where Mannas said there’s plenty of food available. According to Denice, the crew ended up taking the bird roughly 15 miles offshore to release it.

“Albatross need two things to get airborne, one of those is water and the other is really dynamic winds,” Denice said. “They can’t just flap their way into the air. That’s how they stay airborne for so long, you really need them to be offshore and close to their habitat.”

Rescuers also wanted to get the bird close to its natural habitat in case it wasn’t ready to fly yet, Denice said. Albatross spend a lot of time floating on the water looking for food and the crew wanted to give the bird an opportunity to recharge if needed.

But as it turned out, this bird was ready to fly.

“As soon as he got in the water he started flapping his wings, and within 20 seconds he took off,” Mannas said. “It was beautiful.”

Mannas referred to the bird as a “he” but said there’s no way to tell what gender the bird actually was, as male and female albatrosses are practically identical. This particular bird’s weight was right in the overlap zone between males and females so there was no way to distinguish the sex, Mannas said.

Albatrosses can live up to 65 years, Mannas said, but there’s no way to tell how old this bird was other than it was an adult, though she suspected the bird was a young one.

Laysan Albatross only come to land to breed, but their breeding grounds are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, around the Hawaiian Islands and the Midway Atoll. How this bird arrived on the Columbia River is a mystery, Mannas said.

“Albatross like to follow fishing boats, they know that fishing vessels will provide food opportunities,” Mannas said. “Maybe he hitched a ride.”

It isn’t known how the bird was injured.

Laysan Albatross aren’t endangered, Mannas said, but it’s rare to see them so close to shore. Denice said this bird was the fourth albatross PAWS had treated in 20 years.

Albatross travel around the Pacific as far north as Alaska and can be found off the coast of Japan as they follow food. With a wingspan of up to six feet, albatross are able to ride wind streams with almost no effort Mannas said.

According to the bird-watching group the National Audubon Society, while typically found farther out to sea, the birds have been seen nesting off the west coast of Mexico, and stray birds have been found in the inland Southwestern U.S.

________

Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

The ferry MV Coho backs into its landing after returning to Port Angeles on Tuesday following annual dry dock and maintenance in Anacortes. During the maintenance period, extensive work was performed on the dock, including replacement of a wing wall used to steer and secure the vessel during loading and unloading of cars and passengers. The ferry is scheduled to resume daily service between Port Angeles and Victoria on Thursday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Coho returns

The ferry MV Coho backs into its landing after returning to Port… Continue reading

Building association calls for city to cease utility charges

Association says charges unconstitutional

Jefferson Land Trust considering conservation burial ground

Funds from plot sales could fund habitat improvements

Port Angeles artist Bob Stokes sits in his studio and music venue on Wednesday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Art community mourns Bob Stokes’ passing

Legacy includes statues, concerts, gatherings

Clallam PUD
Cindy Kimble, Clallam PUD’s customer and community outreach programs coordinator, can help residents navigate the utility district’s revamped low-income energy assistance program.
Clallam PUD hires staff to help low-income customers

Clallam County Public Utility District has overhauled its low-income energy… Continue reading

Jen Colmore, left, and June Nichols of the Sequim Food Bank serve a sample of chili to Monica Dixon of Sequim during Saturday’s Community Chili Cookoff at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club. The event, organized by the club and Boy Scout Troop 90, showcased the culinary skills of six community organizations with each group receiving a share of the proceeds and the winner taking a $500 prize. The food bank’s chili recipe took top honors in the competition. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Chili cookoff

Jen Colmore, left, and June Nichols of the Sequim Food Bank serve… Continue reading

Port Townsend to test sewer system with smoke, dye

The city of Port Townsend will test its sewer… Continue reading

JUMP! Playground to close for renovations

Jefferson County Parks and Recreation will close the JUMP! Playground… Continue reading

Barcy Fisher, left, and Patti Buckland have been selected as the 2024 Marrowstone Island Citizens of the Year.
Fisher, Buckland honored as Marrowstone Island citizens of year

Barcy Fisher and Patty Buckland were named Marrowstone Island’s 2024… Continue reading

About 800 people from Jefferson and Clallam counties spill out from the steps of the Jefferson County Courthouse onto Jefferson Street in Port Townsend on Monday to take part in a National Day of Protest organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement.” (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Hundreds protest actions of Trump administration

Activists cite USAID, worry about Treasury, impacts of immigration

Peninsula to welcome Canadian visitors

Celebration of Coho passengers planned

Fish barrier removal to impact highway traffic

Portions of roadway to have long-term closures