“the albatross did follow, and every day, for food or play, came to the mariner’s hollo! in mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, it perched for vespers nine…” in samuel taylor coleridge’s “the rime of the ancient mariner,” why do the sailors think the albatross follows the ship? the ship offers a good place to perch. they feed it, and it likes to play with them. it is too misty or cloudy for the bird to fly away. the ship’s mast and shroud attract it.