Albatrosses are the world's largest seabirds. They can spend over 85% of their lives at sea soaring over vast distances. Returning to land only to breed and raise their young. Thirteen varieties of toroa breed in the New Zealand region, mostly on the subantarctic islands and the Chatham group.
These include the great albatrosses such as the northern and southern royal albatross and the nationally critical Antipodean albatross. There are also the small albatrosses, also known as mollymawks, including the grey-headed, black-browed and shy albatross.