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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.
