The Northern Gannet

Marvel at the magnificent Northern Gannet - the UK's largest seabird.

To learn more about gannets, and to help support their recovery, please visit:

Transcript below:
Gannets are the largest seabird in the North Atlantic, with wingspans of up to 2 metres!
Gannets dive for their food, hitting the water at up to 60mph - they have special adaptations to protect their neck and body during impact such as locking vertebrae and air sacs to cushion the blow.
Baby gannets are called gugas, and juveniles have mottled patterns which over time disappear, giving way to the recognisable bright white body, yellow head and, black wing tips of adults.
Scotland has the largest colony of Northern Gannets in the world, on Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth.
Their Conservation status is currently Amber, but populations have recently been heavily affected by bird flu. To recover, they now need our help to reduce other pressures on them such as plastic pollution, overfishing and climate change.

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In the 2023 remake of Disney's The Little Mermaid, Scuttle is a northern gannet (Morus bassanus).