They live communally and nest on rocky islands predominantly in Western Scotland and Northeast England, with the UK holding over half the world population.
They are fairly long-lived, with a lifespan of between 15 and 17 years.
In winter, some of the population stay in UK waters whilst others move down to the Bay of Biscay or into the Mediterranean and some even as far as West Africa.
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Gannets diving off Wheelers Bay. (Image: Andy Butler)
The nearest colony to the Isle of Wight is on the Channel Island of Alderney at Les Elas but the birds are regular visitors here.
They feed mostly on fish of various species which are caught by the gannet’s spectacular diving ability as it can dive from a height of up to 30 metres, hitting the water at 60mph, and pursue its prey down to a depth of 25 metres.
To do this safely it has a layer of air sacs between its skin and chest muscles, likened to bubble wrap, that absorbs the shock of entering the water plus, once underwater, binocular vision to keep sight of its food.
Gannets can be seen in varying numbers every month of the year in Isle of Wight waters, either on passage or looking for food.
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Gannets off the revetment. (Image: Andy Butler)
Up to a few years ago this would have been principally mackerel, that arrived here usually in May and departed in the autumn, but this has changed quite substantially with the decimation of the shoals by super trawlers working (legally) the Southern North Sea Marine Protected Area and English Channel.
They take hundreds of tonnes daily, which is processed on board and sold on the continent.
Last year (2025) there were seven of them working off East Sussex.
This obviously impacts on the environment as a whole and is not sustainable.
Once the mackerel become unprofitable to catch, the ships move on to other species to keep the businesses viable.
On a lighter note, gannets symbolise strength, faith, tenacity, courage, and the ability to pierce through the edge of one world and into another.
But they are best known, of course, for giving their name to somebody who eats so much that they can hardly move.