When it comes to symbols of romance in the animal world, birds are near the top of the list.

I am sure, when thinking of love, most of you would picture a couple of doves kissing or a pair of swans bowing their heads and forming a perfect heart with their slender necks. The lovely songbirds singing cheerily to each other can induce romantic thought in our minds.

However, not many people would know there is a story of romance amongst the seabirds too!

Let’s talk about Northern gannets – the largest seabirds in the UK.

One endearing thing about these birds is the fact that when they mate, they mate for life. They also perform an affectionate bonding display as they welcome their partners back from winter retreats: initially they clack and rub their beaks until the affection develops and the birds entwine their necks as if they were cuddling each other.

You may even see them bringing some marine gifts to their partner! This greeting ritual is a form of renewing and strengthening the bond between mates but also extremely hypnotising to watch.

The first time I saw Northern gannets was at Gullane Beach.

Even though I did not have a clear view, I was fascinated with their speed and splash as they dive.

I travelled down the coast to Berwickshire to hike up St. Abb’s Head but, again, I did not take the dream photo which I had pictured in my head.

Those two events convinced me to take a boat trip to the Bass Rock which I have now done twice.

The Bass Rock is home to the world’s largest colony of Northern gannets, as over 150,000 birds come here each year to breed.

It is a spectacular place to be and the view of thousands of gannets diving next to you with speeds up to 60 miles per hour are just breath-taking. These majestic birds arrive at the Bass in late February and stay as long as October when they set off on their long journey to Africa.

I must admit, though, it was scary to have a bird with a wingspan of up to two metres gliding above my head!

I remember I had to control myself to not open my mouth in awe – trust me, you don’t want to have their guano landing on your face (speaking from experience)!

Northern gannets are snowy-white with distinctive black tipped wings, yellow head, and bright-blue eyes.

The juvenile gannets are grey or grey-brown and their plumage constantly changes each year until it finally transforms into the adult plumage at the age of five.

Gannets feed mainly on sardines and squid but can also take potluck with discards from fishing vessels.

Their fishing method is rather dramatic but also extraordinary: the birds start by circling in the air before folding their wings back and dive-bombing into the water headfirst. The dive can be as deep as 24 metres and last for over half a minute.

Gannets have excellent vision, easily detecting prey underwater and locating it immediately after striking the water.

If you would like to watch gannets and are not keen on sailing, you can visit the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick where you can watch them on footage transmitted live from solar powered cameras on the Bass Rock, or go for a stroll on Seacliff Beach where you may also catch a distant glimpse of diving gannets.