Challenging Habitat Blog

Today was special, even more so than other days during the Darwin 200 voyage on the Tall Ship Pelican of London.

We visited Bass Rock!

With 75000 pairs of breeding gannets, plus young birds and chicks, Bass Rock is the largest northern gannet breeding colony.

Gannets grow incredibly fast but don’t develop their full adult colouring until they are around five years old and ready to breed.

Adult with chick that is loosing it’s first fluffy plumage.

Chicks and young birds with different stages of dark plumage occupy Bass Rock.

Adults with beautiful facial markings and this year’s chicks nearly fat enough to enter the water.

The number and proximity, the cacophony of sound and pungent smell of guano!

A unique experience of the wonders of nature.

Gannets rule!

Learn more about gannets at the Scottish Seabird Center

Today was sadly the day I left Pelican for life on land again. Duties at the University of Plymouth are calling…

It’s been a fantastic voyage around Britain’s North, on the Pelican, now quite familiar, and with its crew, who I have grown very fond of.

Leaving Pelican behind in the ship’s RIB…

Thank you!

Bass Rock hosts the northern hemisphere’s largest colony of gannets and we had the privilege to visit them:

This morning, trainee sailors heated all about the engine and pre-start checks from the bosun Steve.

The afternoon was occupied with filming the young scientists while they relate the outcomes of their investigations. The stories are coming together very nicely!

Rohan filming Jamie and Ash telling the story of sea birds observed during the Darwin 200 UK voyage.

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