Superpowers

Cape gannet

Gannet Spy

Gannets have bright white feathers that are easy to see. They can spot other gannets diving from high in the sky into a bait ball from up to 40 kilometres away. This teamwork helps them to find prey when it is around!

Binocular Vision

Gannets have Binocular vision. This helps them to pinpoint small fish from the air, and work out their prey’s depth.

Air Bags

When hunting fish, Gannets dive into bait balls at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour. That’s faster than a cheetah!

To help withstand the impact, they have air sacs in their shoulder blades and at the front of their heads that act as shock absorbers.

Fancy Flap

Gannets have a flap of skin that covers their nostrils. The flap closes automatically when they dive, and this keeps the water out. Flaps down Captain!

Shape Changing Lenses and Underwater Goggles

Gannets also have membranes that protects their eyes underwater. Plus, they can change the shape of their eye lens to focus better underwater. Did someone say superhero?

Waterproofing

Just like the African penguin, gannets also have a preen gland that secretes a fine oil. They use their bills to spread this oil over their feather for waterproofing, and this helps to keep them nice and dry!

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