Page 38 - World of Animals - Issue #36

Animal Olympians

Best diver

Capable of slipping into the water from
a 30m (98.4ft) dive and emerging with
a successful meal makes the gannet a
powerful feathery missile

Gannets are the largest seabirds in the North
Atlantic, and can be seen bombing into the water in a
spectacular hunting display. The gannets spot the fish

beneath the waves, and can then launch themselves into
an almighty dive. As they plummet seaward their wings
are at right angles to their bodies, but right before they
hit the water they draw their wings back so that they
are a perfectly streamlined shape. This enables them to
enter the sea unharmed. If these birds didn’t fold their Ren Qian
wings when travelling at 96kph (59.6mph), hitting the celebrated her 15th
sea would be like hitting concrete. Pockets of air and fat birthday on the day
within their bodies help to cushion the impact. she won the gold medal
Once in the water, the gannets can flap their wings for the women’s 10m

to reach a depth of up to 12m (39.4ft). A fish can be (32.8ft) platform dive
secured and swallowed underwater before the bird at the FINA World
returns to the surface to then take off and start the Championships
process again.
A successful entry to the
water for both human and bird
is all about streamlining and
minimum splash

Gannets
live up to 35 GANNET
years. They spend Diving stat: 96kph
(59.6mph) dive,
their winters feeding down to 12m (39.4ft)
at sea, and then come REN QIAN depth
Length: wingspan

to specific coastal Achievement: 2016 1.6m (5.25ft)
locations to breed Diving record: Weight: 2.5-4kg (5.5-
during summer Women’s Platform 11.9lb)
diving, world rank #1
Species name:
months. Nationality: China Morus bassanus
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