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Published online 3 March 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.635

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Smelling dinner on the open sea

Albatross zigzag upwind to sniff out food.

Rachel Courtland

Wandering albatrosses seem to have a keen sense of smell: so keen that they can follow their nose to food some 20 kilometres away from their starting point.

Following scent trails on the open ocean is not easy, even for an albatross on the prowl for dead fish or squid.

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  • the zig zag scent following is a major way search dogs work their way to a subject also. I found the article interesting, as I had been taught that birds have no sense of smell except for owls.

    • 04 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: Alice Wistar Herbert

  • Dr. Nevitt also wished to emphasize that this work would not have been possible without the contributions of Henri Weimerskirch of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France and the French Polar Institute (IPEV).

    • 05 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: Rachel Courtland