Robert HardingGannets are huge seabirds with a wingspan of up to two metres, that hunt their underwater prey by diving into the sea from a height. Gannet colonies can be found in the North Atlantic, around southern Africa, New Zealand and south Australia. We chose our favourite images of these intriguing birds from our archive.
Gannets’ eyes are far enough forward on their heads to give them binocular vision, allowing them to accurately judge distances, Bass Rock, Scotland (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Cape gannet colony, Lambert’s Bay, Bird Island, South Africa (Thorsten Milse/Robert Harding)
New Zealand, gannet colony at Muriwai Beach. Gannets fly from Muriwai to Australia and back (LOOK/Robert Harding)
Northern gannet colony, Cape Kidnappers, North Island, New Zealand (Image Broker/Robert Harding)
Northern Gannets during the spring mating season, Ocean Island, Helgoland, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (Image Broker/Robert Harding)
Australasian Gannet, Muriwai Beach, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania (Image Broker/Robert Harding)
Gannet, Bass Rock, Scotland (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Gannet colony in New Zealand (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Northern gannet pair engaged in courtship behaviour in nesting colony Bass Rock, Scotland (age fotostock/Robert Harding)
Wild gannet colony, nesting. St. Kilda Islands, Outer Hebrides, Scotland (Andrew Stewart/Robert Harding)
See more photos of gannets here