Torpedo Gannet
The gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, having a wingspan of up to 2 metres (6.6 ft). The other two species occur in the temperate seas around southern Africa, southern Australia and New Zealand. Gannets hunt fish by diving into the sea from a height and pursuing their prey underwater. Gannets have a number of adaptations which enable them to do this: no external nostrils, they are located inside the mouth instead; air sacs in the face and chest under the skin which act like bubble wrapping, cushioning the impact with the water; positioning of the eyes far enough forward on the face for binocular vision, allowing them to judge distances accurately. Gannets can dive from a height of 30 metres (98 ft), achieving speeds of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) as they strike the water, enabling t...