The northern gannet is a large, marine bird that occurs seasonally in open water areas of the Chesapeake Bay.
During the late fall and winter, flocks of northern gannets move into the Chesapeake Bay to feed on Atlantic menhaden.
One of nature’s most spectacular sights occurs when hungry striped bass drive schools of menhaden towards the surface of the Chespeake Bay. As the menhaden move higher in the water column to escape hungry stripers, they are often attacked by hundreds of diving gannets, working in “beehive” formation.
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