The Northern gannet, Morus (Sula) bassanus, is the largest gannet. The other two Newfoundland colonies are on Funk and Baccalieu Islands. Northern gannets are related to boobies and nest on both sides of the North Atlantic in large colonies on cliffs overlooking the ocean. Fledgling birds are brown with white wingtips. They reach the mature color pattern at about age five. Gannets dive vertically into the sea at velocities up to 60 mph. Nests are built of seaweed and other floating ocean debris such as fishing nets.
