Sometimes I go fishing in Bass Strait between mainland Australia and Tasmania. When we go a few kilometers offshore we always see albatrosses.



First time I saw one I couldn't believe how serious it looked. They seem friendly and intelligent and of course they are really interested in any fish you may throw back. This type is the shy albatross.

When I was young I knew about the poem 'The rime of the ancient mariner'.
Apparently it's very bad luck to kill an albatross. Metaphorically, 'albatross' means a psychological burden that feels like a curse.
When I started seeing these birds it seemed like my burdens were actually being removed .
Hopefully other people can reconnect with nature and their burdens will also be removed. After all, 'burdens' are only things that exist in your mind.

Can't remember the name of the song but Steve Miller once wrote "Gonna throw away my problems cos I made them up myself." Of course it's hard to see that when you are drowning but when nature surprises you it wakes you up. When I was going for a walk in Wales and I came face to face with a bunch of wild mountain goats and here in Sweden when I saw my first moose just along the road from where I live and back where I lived in England when I disturbed a heron and watched it gracefully fly away. These moments are so uplifting. Lovely photo Tas. Thanks for that and for your thoughts.

And this is how albatross sounds like

Dear Friends in the Distance, this has been a surprising turn for a Monday morning. I think the only albatross I'd ever seen before was in illustrations for The Rime .... and I'd never heard the Fleetwood Mac music nor the "Gonna throw away my problems cos I made them up myself" song. I was going to have some coffee but I think I'll take a free walk with the dog instead. Thank you all for sharing.

Yeah, must be impressive sight because they are so huuuuge. 12 ft wingspan and can fly 16,000 kilometres (9,900 mi) without landing
Thanks for sharing Tas_Mania.

Beautiful music. I've always loved Fleetwood Mac.

Kinda reminds me of the Seagull footage I shot a few years back. I got some cool shots in it.

Thanks Nidhogg for the old Fleetwood Mac song. It was really 'laid back'.

Erisian and Neurolurker, cruising around in their personal paradises, stop to look at an albatross, very cool.

Another good video racer must of been fun to make. I've never tried shooting video from a small boat at sea.
I came back with some nice fish but you expect the ground to be rising and falling like waves for about half an hour

After months of trying to get close enough to take a photo of the heron, I finally suceeded.