The Great Northern Divers are currently preparing themselves for the summer, getting their plumage organised to look their best for the warmer months ahead. We’ve been treated to sightings of several divers recently, also known as loons, out on our trips.

Great Northern Diver sporting the latest summer plumage[/caption]

The West Coast islands offer a nice spot for divers like these to spend some time during the colder months before heading off to places like Iceland for the summer to breed, although some like it so much here they stay all year round!

Great Northern Diver seen nearby, still sporting it’s first/winter plumage[/caption]

These divers can live up to 30 years in the wild and feed on things like fish and crustaceans. To reach their food they can dive as deep as 60 metres and stay under water for up to 3 minutes! Although this does make it pretty difficult to get close enough for a good photo, not to mention they can be quite shy.