Albatross chick banding and snorkeling!

It is finally albatross chick banding time! Jimmy and I have begun banding the Black-Footed Albatrosses in his plots. 

It is almost time to start banding the Red-Tailed Tropic bird chicks, they almost have all of their feathers!

Brown Noddy at sunset

Kristina with a Black-Footed Albatross chick

Moonrise, a few minutes after the sunset

The Black-Footed albatross on the left is making a silly face while the Laysan/Blackfoot hybrid next to him poses for the picture

The sea turtles have begun mating and form large piles on the beach. They have been seen mating in the water and on the sand. 

Linkia Starfish seen when snorkeling off of East island in the French Frigate Shoals

Pacific chub, Yellow morph seen snorkeling off of east island

Slate pencil urchin seen while snorkeling off of east island

Jimmy and Kristina at La Perouse Pinnacle

Table coral near Shark island which is west of Tern Island in the French Frigate shoals

The other day we notice that there were butterflies flying around the island. They are very beautiful, it was a pleasant surprise!

Jimmy and I finishing up a long day at work

The albatrosses are looses their down and gaining some feathers. We thought this guy kind of looked like a llama, so we named him Kuzco

Male Bird Wrasse

Male Bird wrasse seen near Shark island

Kristina swimming through a small school of fish

This is a spotted knife jaw fish that we saw while snorkeling off of East island

This is a female Bird Wrasse that we saw while snorkeling off of East Island

Jimmy swimming over a table coral near Shark Island

Table coral near Shark Island

Kristina swimming over a table coral near Shark Island

Giant Trevally swimming near Shark Island

There were hundreds of Convict Tangs swimming near Shark island

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasses

Jimmy found some marine debris while snorkeling off of Shark Island

This is a Chevron Butterflyfish 

More Coral near Shark Island

Table coral near Shark Island

We have been very busy this week banding the Black-footed Albatross in Jimmy's plots. The chicks are getting their adult feathers in so we need to band them before they fledge. The weather has been very sunny and breezy these past couple days.  There was supposed to be a cauliflower coral spawning yesterday but the water was probably too cold so we did not see it happen here. Besides albatross chick banding not much else is new here. We hope everyone has a good week!