# @rspb on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CpNOg-vInJi
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/34269890-rspb-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/41a0d4ca59.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-02-28T12:53:15.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** RSPB (@rspb) — https://gondola.cc/rspb

## Caption

How one bird hits the sea at 60mph and survives. 😯

If you’ve ever visited one of our clifftop reserves, you may have spotted some impressive, dive-bombing at breakneck speed. But how does the gannet do this?

👉The answer lies in muscles surrounding the neck vertebra, that lock into place before entering the water. This prevents the long neck from buckling.

👉Other adaptations include air sacs under the skin to act as ‘air bags’ to cushion the skeleton, and their lack of external nostrils prevent a jet of water being propelled into the head.

If a human was to dive at the same height and speed as a gannet, we would do ourselves some serious damage.

#gannet #ukwildlife #divebomb #diving

## Stats

- **Views:** 7,686
- **Likes:** 1,451
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 15

## Tags

diving, divebomb, gannet, ukwildlife

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