Albatrosses are famous for their powers of flight, in particular their ability to endlessly glide low over the waves, without flapping.

Albatrosses use a technique called 'dynamic soaring', using the different wind speeds that occur at different heights. Cutting through the wind speed gradient enables them to gain height when gliding into the wind while turning and flying downwind, losing height, gives them extra speed.

As it glides along, losing height the albatross turns into the wind which lifts it above the next wave, to a height from which it glides down between waves to turn again and repeat the process. This is why albatrosses rise and fall as they fly over the oceans, their wings held out stiffly. It also means that they are not simply blown along by the wind but can actually fly faster than the wind's speed.

Their long wings are designed to enable them to make the most of these differing wind speeds, but only if they keep them still. They do this by locking their shoulders into position allowing the muscles, which would otherwise be holding the wing horizontal from the body, to rest.

If they try to flap their wings, they encounter so much resistance from the air that they soon tire. This means that in wind speeds of below about 18kph, they are forced to sit on the water or remain stranded at their island breeding sites. In severe storms, winds may be too strong for them to fly, forcing them to sit on the water, waiting for the weather to improve.

An albatross's take-off is an embarrassingly clumsy affair. On land they have to run, using a 'runway' area of flat open ground, usually placed on the windiest part of the breeding island, and sloping downhill to increase speed. They face downhill, into the wind, and start a headlong run with wings outstretched, this combined with a couple of flaps, usually gets them into the air.

Take-off from the water may involve some mad paddling across the surface before the wind lifts them. One light-mantled albatross was seen pattering across the surface for two kilometres before managing to lift off.

When landing on water they use their large webbed feet to touch down and 'ski' to a halt; on land they use their tails and webbed feet as 'air brakes' and, if they are still too fast when they land, they may topple forward rather comically onto their beaks!