Northern gannets are primarily winter visitors to our coast here in Delaware. They usually stay offshore so we might not be aware of their presence, but we can see them diving for fish off of the ocean beaches sometimes. This is probably best seen with binoculars. If you ride the Cape May – Lewes Ferry they are seen on the rocks of the breakwaters at the mouth of DE Bay and sometimes follow the ship looking for fish churned up by the propeller wash. Most will leave here to breed on cliffs along the Canadian coast and there are very large breeding colonies in Europe and the British Isles. Some young non-breeding birds stay south of the breeding range in the summer staying along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines. These beautiful birds are very fun to watch as they fish. Catch a ride on the ferry and you might see them up close.
