Meeting Penguins

Penguins

 

 

 

 

 

In early 2013, I took a cruise around the horn from Santiago to Buenos Aires and had the opportunity to visit penguin rookeries in 3 different locations as follows:

Punta Arenas, Chile - Penguin Colony at Seno Otway—a disappointing first penguin visit.  We saw 22 penguins lined up from behind wooden barrier, from 15-feet away.  It seems that most had left the colony for the season.

Ushuaia, Argentina (the southernmost city in the world)- Martillo Island on Haberton Ranch Today the ranch is managed by the founder’s  great-grandson, Thomas Goodall, and his American wife, Natalie, a scientist and author who has cooperated with the National Geographic Society on conservation projects and operates the impressive marine mammal museum, Museo Acatushun (www.acatushun.com).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Pira Tours, this was a fantastic excursion!  We saw at least 2000 penguins on an island with spectacular mountain scenery and turquoise water from several beaches.  There was one lonely King among Magellanics and Gentoos.  I witnessed a penguin fight, heard many mating calls, and saw penguins fortifying their nests.

 

We also visited the owner’s Marine Mammal museum.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina-Punta Tumbo Penguin Rookery.  This is the world’s largest penguin rookery on vast land with penguins and other exotic llamas, ostriches, rats, and more.  We saw many nests, chics shedding their fur, and penguins crossing the road.

So, what are penguins???

They are flightless birds who live underwater most of the year returning annually to mate (on land) many hooking up with the same life partner. There are penguin 18 species ranging from the tiny fairy penguin which is 16 inches tall and weighs 2.2 pounds to the human-child-sized emperor penguin which is 3.7 feet tall and weighs 60 to 90 pounds. They live in the southern (not North Pole) hemisphere in South America, Australia, The Galapagos Islands and Africa.

Facts about Penguins

·         Penguins are flightless birds.

·         Most babies have fluffy feathers.

·         They are able to stay underwater with the help of their bones which are solid and heavy.

• They have a breastbone and huge paddle muscles which help them move at speeds of 25 miles per hour.
• While traveling at fast speeds, they leap out of the water every few feet. This action is called "Porpoising." Porpoising helps them breathe. The chances of being spotted by another animal are also greatly reduced because of porpoising.
• About 75% of a penguin’s life is spent in water, where they do all their hunting.
• Most of the time they breed in large colonies called rookeries.

 

 

• The ones closer to the Equator feed on fish while those closer to Antarctica eat more squid and krill.
• They stay warm with the help of a thick layer of blubber and a waterproof body covering.
• Smaller penguins inhabit warmer climates whereas larger species are found in colder climates.
• They are found on every continent in the southern hemisphere, from the tropical Galapagos Islands off South America to the Antarctica.
• They have one partner for life.
• The male takes care of the egg in the cold, by placing it on his foot and covering it with his brood pouch. They stand like that for almost two months without any food.
• The female usually goes to hunt for food. After returning, she regurgitates the food for young ones and the male leaves the child in the mother's care to hunt his own food.
• Penguins communicate with each other by sign language using their flippers and head. They find their soul mates through singing. And it is up to the males to attract females, and the females choose their partners accordingly. Penguins are monogamous creatures as they live with the same partner throughout their life.
• There exist about 18 different species in the world.
• Their natural enemies are seals and killer whales.
• Adult penguins incubate and feed their chicks in turns, once they have hatched.
• The King and Emperor penguins lay one egg each, while other species lay two.
• The fairy penguin is the smallest and is 16 inches tall and weighs 2.2 pounds. The largest is the emperor penguin which is 3.7 feet tall and weighs 60 to 90 pounds.
• They live 20-30 years.
• Man is their worst predator, followed by sea lions that can eat 30-60 penguins.
• Penguins create their own “love song” together.  When they reunite annually, they can recognize their mate’s call among thousands of singing penguins.