GANNETS
Fierce inhabitants of a liminal kingdom. By Susanne Masters
By Susanne Masters
Descending on the horizon and ending in watery detonation, northern gannets (Morus bassanus) mark their kingdom with dives that Red Bull cliff divers can only dream of. Dropping with speeds that can reach 100km per hour they are driven 3 to 4.5 metres deep in the sea with a rapidity that makes it hard for the fish they hunt to escape. While performance divers feel the fear of height and impact, gannets make these descents hundreds of times every day.