Most albatrosses live in the southern oceans, with only occasional excursions into northern waters.
The albatross relies on strong winds to fuel their flight, and it is supposed that the generally calm air in the tropics acts as a barrier to the easy northern passage of these birds. Albatrosses like to follow ships at sea, and will often stay close to trawlers. Not such a surprising thing, as different species of albatross don't reach sexual maturity for six to ten years. Albatrosses mate for life, and can live to be fifty years of age or more, so those youngsters might just be enjoying the feel of the sea before returning to their colonies to assume adult roles. The first albatross we saw was a black-footed albatross, and it came soaring across the sea towards us from the vicinity of a fishing trawler.