Alcatraz Atlántico

Hunting by plunge-diving, the Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) folds its wings into an arrow and enters the water from heights of about 30 m at speeds approaching 100 km/h; air sacs beneath the skin and a reinforced skull absorb the impact. Adults are brilliant white with black wingtips and a golden wash over the head and nape, and carry a long, pointed, pale blue-grey bill with serrated edges. The species ranges across the North Atlantic, breeding in dense colonies on steep rocky islands and sea stacks from Newfoundland to Iceland, Britain and Norway, and wintering at sea. Mackerel, herring and capelin dominate the diet. A single egg is incubated for 42-46 days. Bass Rock, off Scotland, holds over 150,000 birds, the largest single seabird colony in the world.