A Deep, Deep Guillemot

Bird On! News
18th May 1996

A North Sea oil industry submarine was filming at almost 300 feet below the surface of the Sea some 100 miles off Aberdeen, Scotland. The video tape showed a swimming Guillemot!

These birds catch their fish under water but it was thought that most dives were normally only 60 of 70 feet deep. Record depths previously recorded were about 200 feet - some inferred by the fact that the birds were catching bottom-dwelling fish in that depth of water.

Research work on the depth of diving is quite difficult, with piston depth recorders being the best method. The difficulty is that you first have to catch your Guillemot, attach the depth recorder, and then recapture the bird.