Northern Gannets

Northern Gannets are one of the largest seabirds and unmistakeable when feeding, diving head first into the sea with their wings folded back, to catch fish.

The Northern Gannet can be easily identified by their bright white plumage with black wing tips and a yellow head. They are usually most noticeable when feeding as this seabird plummets from heights of up to 30 metres and reaches speeds of up to 60 mph before hitting the water! They are able to hit the water at these speeds without injury by an extensive network of air sacs between their muscles and skin, which helps to cushion the impact.

Although we see them frequently around our coast, gannets do not breed in Cornwall, and tend to migrate further north and settle to breed on the cliffs surrounding Scotland or further north towards Greenland. Our nearest breeding colony is off Wales’ Pembrokeshire coast. Younger, non-breeding individuals, can be seen off our coast at any time of year.

How to identify a Northern Gannet:

• Body length – 1 metre
• Wingspan – 1.8 metres
• Snow white with black wingtips and yellow heads
• Long pointed bill
• Plummeting into the sea