Penguins of Antarctica

If there is one animal for which tourists come to Antarctica, it is for the Penguin. Penguin sightings are the highlight of any trip cruise.

The ancestors of the Penguin were flying birds, and they have evolved into specialized divers and swimmers. Penguins “fly” through the water using the same wing-beats and muscles other birds use for flying in the air. Their wings are so small they are usually called “flippers.,” These flippers provide the power while their winged feet, tucked in under the tail, are used for steering.

Their feathers are densely packed, and cover all their skin, just like the fur on a hamster’s back. This prevents water from reaching the skin, and enables the bird to stay warm in cold water. These dense feathers, plus a layer of blubber under the skin, do an excellent job of conserving a penguin’s body heat, even during a blizzard. The general coloration is black on the back and white on the underneath. This provides effective camouflage against predators when swimming through the water.

Antarctic penguins all nest in colonies, where their breeding is synchronized. Most eggs are laid at the same time, hatch at the same time, and the chicks develop at the same pace. Male and females both take an active role in raising the chicks. Both sexes incubate the eggs, feed the chicks and guard the nest. This shared labor is very important, as a penguin chick will not likely survive if it has lost one parent.

Worldwide, there are 17 species of penguins; 5 species found in Antarctica, live only in the southern hemisphere, and are the best divers of all birds.

If a person might imagine a typical penguin, the Adelie springs to mind. This breed is largely confined to Antarctica and the bird nests farther south than any other penguin. With its simple black and white pattern and total absence of bright color, it is a symbol of the far south. Adelie penguins often forage far from their colonies, and during incubation phase have been known to travel up to 62 miles to feed. Their height is about 18 inches, and their weight usually 11 lbs. Diet is krill, fish, squid.

The Chinstrap takes its name from the obvious line of black feathers that runs, like the strap of a hat, under their white chins. It is almost as if they were wearing black helmets. They grow to 27 inches and their weight is about 10 lbs. The chinstrap penguin eats mostly krill and fish, while they have to be careful of the leopard seals, who prey on them. Their life span is about 15 to 20 years. Chinstrap population has increased in the past century and has replaced the Adelie penguins as the locally dominant penguin species. This could be due to the warming of the Antarctica Peninsula region in the past century and a reduction in sea-ice cover-a condition that favors Chinstraps over Adelies. They build circular nests from stones on land, lay around two eggs, which are incubated by both males and females, for shifts of five to ten days. Chicks hatch after about 35 days and stay in the nest for about 20 to 30 days. At around 50-60 days, they molt, gain their adult plumage and go to sea.

The orange-beaked Gentoo is often seen around the Antarctic Peninsula. They are among the least aggressive of the penguins and not nearly as noisy as the Chinstraps or the Adelies. Unusually for penguins Gentoo chicks return to the nesting colony to be fed by their parents for about 3 weeks after fledging. Their body size is about 18 inches, and weight 13 lbs.

Because penguins are respected (and loved), they are not threatened by visitors.  Squatting on the ground is often a signal to the curious penguin to waddle over for a closer inspection of the strangers at hand. They can come up to you, sit on your boots, chew on your shoe laces, but you are not permitted to pet or touch them. On their turf, they always have the right of way, and a visitor might have to veer from the path itself because some penguins have decided to take a nap on it, or shoot the breeze with another penguin.

Penguins will commonly point their heads skyward and trumpet a call that is thought to be a territorial proclamation. It seems to be contagious, because once one bird begins this ecstatic display, someone in the neighborhood will soon copy it, and the noise will spread through the colony.