Short-tailed Albatross

This massive seabird, nesting on islands in the western North Pacific, was once a common visitor in offshore waters of the western U.S. and Canada. Driven almost to extinction in the early years of the 20th century, it has made a very slow comeback. It is now being seen regularly in small numbers at sea off southern Alaska, mainly near the Aleutian Islands, with scattered sightings elsewhere offshore as far south as California.