Gannets are best described as "pointy" birds; with long necks, a pointed tail and long pointed wings it seems to be the only description that fits. This gives them a striking appearance and, more importantly, allows them to plunge at high speed from 30m or so. Breaking the sea surface at approximately 100 km/hr drives hunting gannets deeper than many other airborne birds.

Breeding colonies are raucous affairs, with birds seemingly coming and going in with no regard for one another. Nests are built on precipitous cliffs using all manner of items. Grasses and cliff top vegetation is sometimes used but so are scraps of nylon rope discarded by sea going vessels. One nest was built using a variety of multicoloured wire coat hangars scavenged from who knows where.