A rocky ride to Bass Rock’s gannet kingdom
These birds traverse the Atlantic, enduring harsh conditions and return to Bass Rock year after year. Bass Rock gannets are a testament to nature's balance and the ongoing struggle for survival
The inflatable sped up abruptly, without warning. Our destination was Bass Rock, the largest breeding colony of Northern Gannets in the world. Under the crisp and clear morning light, the shimmering blue North Sea further spiked our adrenaline rush, making us foolishly discount the challenge our ride could offer.
Specifically, it was a small rigid-hull inflatable, 12-seater, twin-engine rigid inflatable boat (RIB) — a solid flat-board flanked by two air tubes, lightweight but lightning-fast, the kind we usually see in action-adventure movies. As soon as we left the harbour, it started breaking the waves and turned into a roller-coaster without a seatbelt.
"Use your legs as anchors,'' our skipper shouted. The seats were smaller than a stool. "Where are the stirrups to attach my legs?" I cursed and struggled to hold on, my phone in one hand and my camera in the other. Luckily, the boat suddenly slowed down. "One of the engines has gotten caught up with the lobster net," the skipper announced, "We are not going any further."
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Immediately returning without visiting Bass Rock left us with mixed feelings. But luck was on our side. There were seats for the following day. The Scottish Seabird Centre transferred us accordingly. This time it was a catamaran — bigger, slower, but safer. As we figured out later, its height was better suited for our photography attempts.
Bass Rock
Just a few miles off the southernmost Scottish town of North Berwick lies Bass Rock, an ancient volcanic island. An islet or skerry in Scottish terminology, the island covers roughly three hectares. It is characterised by steep, rocky cliffs reaching heights up to 107 metres, which rise dramatically from the North Sea. Bass Rock is a miniature landscape featuring both a promontory and an escarpment.
Historically, this island on the Scottish east coast has been a beacon of resistance. Today, it remains uninhabited. The island and its fortress, church, and prison now belong to the birds.
Today, it is most famously known for its Northern Gannets. Adhip, a fresh marine biology graduate, and I scheduled a visit there during our summer break.
The dive bombers
Northern Gannets are striking pelagic seabirds, the only Atlantic kind of the three types of gannets. They have a very streamlined build with bright white plumage, black-tipped wings, and a golden hue on the nape.
These pelagic birds are fish-eaters, rarely venturing onto land except for breeding. During this time, gannets develop a turquoise blue ring around their enchanting blue eyes. "These are called bridal gannets,'' our skipper remarked.
The gannets are famous for their nosedive freefalls that can be from heights of up to 70 metres. Gannets dive with their streamlined bodies straight and rigid with wings tucked close to the body and folded back beyond the tail. They become a living arrowhead. That is one tough yoga pose impossible for any other bird. They can go to depths between 11 metres and 60 metres.
Gannets are known to follow fishing boats and dolphins to trace schooling fish. Hundreds of gannets freefalling and dolphins herding the fish close to the shores create a spectacular scene.
Often, this scene attracts sharks and whales, turning it into a feeding frenzy. There was no feeding frenzy or mass dives then. But we noticed some lone gannets diving close to the harbour. They were fast and tough to capture on cameras.
The experience
The following day was hazy. The thick curtain of fog engulfed North Berwick and surrounding waters. The catamaran cut smoothly through the gentle waves, but anything beyond 20 metres was barely visible.
Bass Rock appeared like a darker mass in the greying wall of fog. Then, it grew larger with each passing moment. Its whitish cliff came into sharper focus. We soon realised that the 'white' of Bass Rock was not due to snow or erosion, but the sheer number of gannets covering almost every inch of the island.
As we approached closer, the sky above teemed with gannets; the island itself was filled with gannets. They were everywhere, their calls filled the air in a cacophony of life. Bass Rock seemed an avian metropolis, bustling and vibrant. We were informed that there were currently around 60,000 birds. Bass Rock usually hosts a whopping 150,000 birds during peak breeding season.
Gannets are famous for their nosedive freefalls that can be from heights of up to 70 metres. Gannets dive with their streamlined bodies straight and rigid, with wings tucked close to the body and folded back beyond the tail. They become a living arrowhead. That is one tough yoga pose impossible for any other bird. They can go to depths between 11 metres and 60 metres.
The gannets were surprisingly unperturbed by our presence. They went about their usual chores — some soared overhead, some floated. But most were busy forming pairs, defending a nesting ground or preparing nests.
There were spectacular breeding displays, some males extending their long necks upright, almost vertical to the ground they were defending. Their pronounced golden heads, striped masks around their face, blue eyes, and snow-white bodies glisten on darker rocky cliffs, announcing the best genes in them.
While the gannets dominated the scene, Bass Rock itself was a marvel too. The rugged terrain, with its dramatic cliffs and hidden caves, told stories of its historical significance. In the past, the island was a rabbit warren, served as a retreat for early Christian hermits, a fortress during turbulent times, and even a prison during the 16th century.
Later on, it gradually became abandoned. At first, puffins had settled in with a likeness for the grasses and soft earth cultured for the rabbits. Then, slowly, gannets took over. Grasses eroded due to a high amount of ammonia discharge from the nesting gannets. Soon, the topsoil followed. One tough invasive plant, the tree mallow, interfered with gannet breeding but was eventually eradicated. Now, the entire island is one bare rock, protected and a haven for gannets.
We spent around 20 minutes circling the island. We did not land due to the risk of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus affecting the gannets. In 2022, there was a bad breakout. On a single day, a drone survey recorded 5,000 dead birds.
"The gannets that have survived a bout now develop a black-coloured eye instead of blue," the skipper explained.
Observing the gannets, I could not help but reflect on both their adaptive resilience and fragile future. These birds traverse the Atlantic, enduring harsh conditions and returning to Bass Rock year after year; their fate intertwined with us, humans. Bass Rock gannets are a testament to nature's balance and the ongoing struggle for survival.
