Amundsen

PENGUINS OF THE ANTARCTIC

Penguins are closely related to the Albatrosses and petrels. Whilst now being flightless, they evolved from a flying ancestor that was also a strong underwater swimmer, very much like today’s auks or diving petrels. Out of the world’s 17 main species, these penguins represent the likely sightings during your expedition. Millions of these attractive birds live in the Antarctic, gathering in huge colonies in order to breed. Out of all penguin species there are only two that are ice dependant and live in Antarctica all year round, these are the Adelie and the Emperor. The Gentoo, Macaroni, Chinstrap, Rock hopper, and King Penguins all breed within Antarctic waters but are not ice dependant. For this purpose, Antarctic waters include the Antarctic peninsula, the sub Antarctic islands, and the southern tip of South America.

The Gentoo: The third largest penguin, it is a stocky, shy, but gentle bird. Displaying an orange-red bill and wearing a white band across the top of its head, you may also notice the white eyelids. Usually they lay two large white eggs, which both male and female tend during incubation. Later the chicks then form “crèches”, and are tended by their parents daily whilst fishing within 10kms from the shore.

The Adelie: is one of the true Antarctic penguins and is a real tough character. Often seen leaping up to a metre out of the water onto rocky shores and ice flows, their bodies are protected by thick blubber, flexible skin and a fibrous set of feathers. An estimated population of 2.4million was recorded in the 1990’s; they were named by an early French explorer Durmont d’Urville as a tribute to his wife Adelie. All black and white, they have a distinctive circle of white around their eyes.

The Chinstrap: Chinstrap colonies are noisy places, full of aggression and often on steep slopes or on higher elevations. Often seen attacking fellow penguins, choosing, mistakenly to walk through the colony, it defends its territory enthusiastically. Displaying a military style chinstrap keeping his black helmet firmly in place suits their aggressive nature. The chinstrap outnumbers other penguins in Antarctica with an estimated population of over 15 million.

The Emperor and the King: The largest of the penguins, growing to 1.15 metres in height, Emperors are closely related to King penguins, supporting oval shaped yellow or orange tinged neck patches, with a streamlined body shape. Able to dive to depths of over 500metres and stay submerged for up to 20 minutes, they are known for their grace and speed. On land they appear to be extremely slow and walking gives way to a more “tobogganing” style of locomotion, preserving energy. This true Antarctic dweller can be mistaken for its close relative the King penguin which has a larger bill but is much smaller at around 85cm-95cm. The King may be sighted around the islands of Cape Horn, in the same area as some of the Crested penguins like the Rock hopper, and the Macaronis.