NORTHERN ATLANTIC
Temperate Seashore

The northern Atlantic stretches from the coast of Scotland (above)...

...to the shores of east Canada (above).

These coasts have the highest tides in the world.

And some of the oldest rocks.

Class Aves

Order Charadriiformes

Family Alcidae: Auks

Uria aalge, 'Common Guillemot', 'Murre'.

Alca torda, 'Razorbill'.

Fratercula arctica, 'Atlantic/Common Puffin'.

Order Procellariiformes

Family Procellariidae 

Fulmarus glacialis, 'Northern Fulmar'.

Order Suliformes

Family Sulidae

Morus bassanus, 'Northern Gannet'. Of the three Gannet species that live in temperate seas around the world (Australasian Gannet, Cape Gannet and Northern Gannet), these are the largest. They are distributed mostly in the north Atlantic.

Northern Gannet breeding colony.

The males and females look pretty much the same. One of the few differences is the colour running along the toes; more blueish in the males and yellow-greenish in females. At breeding colonies it is easy to see males and females touching bills, this movement is performed when mated pairs greet each other.

It is the male Northern Gannets that build the nests, and he uses grass, seaweed and dirt. The female will usually lay just one egg.

The freshly hatched chick is dark. After just one week it becomes fluffy white with feathers. Over the next month, the young develop dark feathers. They are fed by the parents for the next 3 months, right up until the time they take their first flight. They then take some five years to attain full adult plumage.

Places to enjoy the northern Atlantic temperate seashore

National parks and areas you can explore and experience the seashores of the northern temperate oceans include Bonaventure Island in Canada and St.Kilda in Scotland.