The last Northern gannet I saw was along the shore of the Evangeline region of Prince Edward Island. The huge birds with a wing span over 2 meters, fish off the coast of the island this time of year. This one had seen better days unfortunately.
Gannets don’t nest on PEI. The nearest colony is located on Bonaventure Island, off the east coast of Quebec.
I’d heard stories of fishers from around our island home, watching the birds offshore make their daring dives from above into the ocean and disappear for a time underwater. We had never seen them however until one day recently at Cabot Beach on the north shore of the center of the island.
The tide was low and I went to the water’s edge. Off in the distance, I saw a white bird dive into the water. Gannet! Another one flew in and did the same. They disappeared for a time then surfaced and floated around. Of course, I had my camera close by.
I was so excited to see these marvelous creatures! The distance tested the zoom on my camera and the pictures are not great. However, in my thrill to see them, I feel compelled to share the best photos nonetheless. One was taking off while the other watched the cormorant nearby.
Gannets are a wonder of nature!