ShaunW (shandys_preston)
One small step for Gannet kind!
This shot was taken at Troupe head on the Scottish coastline.
Gannets hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater. Gannets have a number of adaptations which enable them to do this:
* they have no external nostrils;
* they have air sacs in their face and chest under their skin
which act like bubble-wrap, cushioning the impact with the water;
* their eyes are positioned far enough forward on their face to give them binocular vision, allowing them to judge distances accurately.
Gannets can dive from a height of 30 m, achieving speeds of 100 km/h as they strike the water, enabling them to catch fish much deeper than most airborne birds.
The gannet's supposed capacity for eating large quantities of fish has led to "gannet" becoming a disapproving description of somebody who eats excessively, similar to "glutton".
Please view large!
One small step for Gannet kind!
This shot was taken at Troupe head on the Scottish coastline.
Gannets hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater. Gannets have a number of adaptations which enable them to do this:
* they have no external nostrils;
* they have air sacs in their face and chest under their skin
which act like bubble-wrap, cushioning the impact with the water;
* their eyes are positioned far enough forward on their face to give them binocular vision, allowing them to judge distances accurately.
Gannets can dive from a height of 30 m, achieving speeds of 100 km/h as they strike the water, enabling them to catch fish much deeper than most airborne birds.
The gannet's supposed capacity for eating large quantities of fish has led to "gannet" becoming a disapproving description of somebody who eats excessively, similar to "glutton".
Please view large!