a study by the University of Oxford found that black-browed albatrosses can dive up to 19m (62ft) into the sea in pursuit of their prey, staying under water for up to 52 seconds.

Albatrosses have also been known to feed using a somewhat unusual method. At night, they have been observed spinning around on the surface of the ocean, sometimes for hours at a time. The movement causes bioluminescent animals in the local vicinity to glow, attracting squid which the albatross then eats.

Imam Sajjad (PBUH) said: He who marries for the sake of Allah, Almighty and Glorious, and for the union of kindred, Allah will grant him the crown of glory and honour.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: He who marries a woman (only) for her beauty, Allah will assign the beauty of that woman as a harm and trouble for him.

Albatrosses primarily feed on squid, fish, krill, and sometimes crustaceans. When they detect prey, they swoop down to land on the surface, catching the creature with their large bills which can reach 18cm in length.

Sometimes albatrosses can also dive into the water to capture prey beneath the surface, an incredible feat given that it was previously thought that albatrosses were not good divers.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: He who marries a woman for her wealth, Allah will leave him only with that; and he who marries a woman (only) for her beauty, he will see in her what he does not like; but he who marries a woman for her religion, Allah will gather those merits for him.

The extinction of short-tailed albatrosses in the North Atlantic may have been caused by a rise in sea levels, which made albatross nesting sites vulnerable to storm surges. Short-tailed albatrosses are now a critically endangered species confined to a few islets in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: He who marries a woman for the hope of her wealth, Allah leaves him with only that wealth.

Albatrosses are notably absent from the North Atlantic, although they can sometimes enter this region if they drift off course. However, fossil remains of a breeding colony of short-tailed albatross dating to around 400,000 years ago were discovered in Bermuda in 2003, showing albatross once lived there.

Researchers found intact eggshells and bones of embryos, juveniles, and adults.

A few albatrosses live outside of the southern hemisphere. These include the black-footed albatross, native to the Hawaiian archipelago and a few nearby islands; the short-tailed albatross, which breeds near Japan; the Laysan albatross of the North Pacific; and the waved albatross, which lives off the coast of the Galápagos Islands and the coasts of Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: He who marries a woman only for her beauty (regardless of her Faith), he will not see (gain) what he likes; and he who marries a woman only for her wealth, Allah will leave him with that wealth only. Therefore, it is to you that you look for a religious wife.

Most albatrosses live in the cold waters of the southern hemisphere. They spend most of their time hunting and foraging out at sea and are rarely seen on land. When they do gather to breed, they form large colonies on remote islands. South Georgia, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean around 1,400km east of the Falkland Islands, is one such remote outcrop. The wandering albatross, black-browed albatross, grey-headed albatross and light-mantled sooty albatross all return to breed here.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: He who gives his daughter in marriage to an ungodly man has indeed broken off her connection with her kindred.