Sunball Rocket. Gold Winner, Birds in the Environment, and Bird Photographer of the Year 2026. “A northern gannet seems to burst through the sun as it pierces down through the water. The handsome northern gannets lead a dualistic existence. In the nest, their newborn is carefully nurtured, and a couple’s bond is reinforced by pointing sharp beaks to the sky as they tenderly stroke their white necks together. In flight, hunting mode takes over, and piercing yellow eyes, fringed with blue circles, scour the sea for prey. Their long wingspan and streamlined bodies make flying look effortless, gliding along with just the occasional pulse of their wings. When fish are spotted, the gannets fly into the wind and stretch out their wings as brakes, precisely adjusting their position in relation to their quarry. Moments later, with wings tucked in tightly, the gannet shape-shifts into a pointed torpedo, diving into the water at speeds of up to 86 kilometers per hour.”
Adventures of the late great ‘Bird Man’ Bill Montevecchi
I heard some of this, a week or so ago. “Ranked in the world’s top two per cent of scientists.” caught my attention. They didn’t say why. Part of what I heard was how he loved gannets.
I also wonder if this was the same guy I overheard being discussed on one of the ships I was on. It was a Newfoundland crew as I remember. Their likely only experience with science was being crew on a science vessel and they were complaining about a guy counting seabirds from the bow. They thought it was a futile waste of resources. Montevecchi explained in the radio doc that the ocean is a blank slate. When he was working tech was limited and sea birds were a good proxy for what was happening below. It would be interesting to know if he was onboard at the time.