Colony of northern gannets in Quebec Aug. 25, 2025

They are easy to recognise: sleek white bodies, black wingtips and a dagger-sharp bill. Northern gannets are anything but quiet—especially when gathered by the tens of thousands on Bonaventure Island"s cliffs in Quebec. Each year, they come together to feed, breed and raise their young. These seabirds are high-speed hunters. Spotting fish from 70 metres up, they fold their wings and dive at speeds nearing 100 km/h. Air sacs in the skull protect them from the force of impact, allowing them to grab prey like herring, capelin and sand lance underwater with accuracy.

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