I have a theory about penguins, which is that no one can watch one for any length of time without smiling. Certainly the truth of that theory was proved when we visited Antarctica and saw them for ourselves. Part of the appeal is that they walk upright, looking almost human. And they’re always so smartly dressed! But learn a little about them and you’ll find them even more appealing. Penguins are family birds. They mate for life and share the responsibilities of parenthood.
Penguins mate for life. Which doesn’t really surprise me, because they all look exactly alike. It’s not like they’re gonna meet a better-looking penguin someday.
Ellen DeGeneres
For this month’s Bird Place challenge I thought it would be fun to share some images of the penguins we encountered on that long ago (2003) trip.
We saw three different species during our time on and around the Antarctic Peninsula: Chinstrap, Gentoo and a few Adelie penguins. However I only have photos of the first two of these. It is very obvious how the Chinstraps got their name. Meanwhile the Gentoos are the ones that appear to be wearing headphones!
What these photos can’t show you is just how smelly it is in a penguin colony. A diet of nothing but fish has a perhaps unsurprising impact on what emerges at the other end of the bird! And the problem is compounded in breeding season when they spend a lot of time in the same spot on the ice. So if you were wondering about those pinky-brown stains, yup, that’s penguin poo! Wellington boots are essential attire, and must be thoroughly sluiced down and left in the boot room when you reboard the ship.
Note: these images are all scanned from old slides and while tidied up still leave something to be desired in terms of clarity and colour balance!
Chinstrap colony
Chinstrap couple
Chinstrap parent feeding babies
Chinstrap penguin heading for the sea
Gentoo colony
Gentoo penguins
Gentoo penguin
Gentoo penguin in the snow, near one of the Antarctic science stations
Gentoo penguin just out of the sea
[How do I know? He’s clean!]
A Gentoo watching for fresh visitors to arrive?
I visited Antarctic in 2003
65 Comments
navasolanature
Love your penguins and yet another amazing quote from you. Now if humans looked like penguins would we bother so much about our looks and our mates! Thanks for your amazing contributions to Bird Place of the Month. I have been a bit preoccupied with fish and fishing, a long story but lets hope there will be enough fish for these little fellows in the future.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for checking in on this post, and for hosting such a great challenge! I wonder if penguins look alike to each other or if they can see differences that we miss? Maybe all humans look alike to them!
navasolanature
We might but think they might determine by smell!
SoyBend
The quote in the beginning cracked me up. The penguins are such great subjects for photography. Though I haven’t been around penguins, I’ve been in other seabird colonies and you’re right, they stink!
Sarah Wilkie
Glad you enjoyed both the quote and penguins Siobhan 😀 I imagine all seabird colonies do have similar smells!
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Beautiful, even covered in poo. At least they get a nice refreshing bath anytime they want it.
Sarah Wilkie
True 😀 Apparently the smell isn’t as bad outside breeding season, as with no eggs or chicks to care for they can go in the sea more frequently, and also move around more. When we were there they were staying pretty much in one place most of the time so all the smelly stuff was landing there too!
Annie Berger
Absolutely stunning photos, Sarah. I can see you were so talented even then with your camera lens! Our trip to Antarctica in 2019 remains one of our highlight trips of all. I’d love to return and see more of the South Pole – Steven not so much!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Annie 😊 We’re in a similar position – I’d love to go back, Chris less so. I suspect we never will as there are so many other places to see!
Annie Berger
I can certainly resonate with that as the “want to see list” seems to be getting ever longer and age is not!
equinoxio21
Very cute. I can only imagine the smell… LOL
Sarah Wilkie
They are cute although the smell is hard to describe and therefore perhaps to imagine!
equinoxio21
I think I can. We’ve always used Vietnamese fish sauce at home. Called Nuoc mam. One day in Africa my eldest brother broke one in his room. (No idea what he was doing with a fish sauce bottle in his room.) Despite insistent washing, the smell impregnated the floor and stayed for weeks. Imagine the effect of African heat on fish sauce smell… 😳
Sarah Wilkie
Ah yes, that could be close!
Alison
A fantastic gallery Sarah, and loved the feature photo, especially with the splash of red, stunning
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Alison 😊
Anonymous
What a fantastic gallery Sarah, I especially like the feature photo, it looks like you’ve added a pop of colour but I think it’s just a great natural photo
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😊 I boosted the red just a little in the header photo, yes. The slightly zoomed in version I used in the gallery (last photo) has the red as it was, but for the header I wanted a little more pop!
Image Earth Travel
Fabulous photos, Sarah!
Doesn’t time escape us…2003 was a while back but at least we have our memories and photos for the future.
Yvonne Dumsday
I quite often wish we had “smelly” ‘phones but, on this occasion, I think I am satisfied just to see the pictures.
Sarah Wilkie
Haha Yvonne 🤣🤣
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Nilla 😊 I find it hard to believe this was over twenty years ago, it feels more like ten!
Natalie
Fantastic photos, Sarah. I really like the header photo and the one with penguins feeding their babies.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Natalie 🙂 It was great to be there at the right time to see the chicks!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
So cute! We saw Galapagos penguins in the 1990s but haven’t been to Antarctica. But of course we have our Glasgow penguins!
Sarah Wilkie
You do indeed, and very cute they are too! We only saw a couple of Galapagos penguins as it wasn’t really the right time of year for them
margaret21
You’ve got some great shots of these thoroughly appealing birds.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret 😊
Suzanne
Sarah, as others have pointed out, the photography is wonderful, you’ve captured the spirt of the place and those special animals the penguins.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Suzanne, I’m glad you felt the spirit of Antarctica here 😊
the eternal traveller
Great photos. I’m glad we don’t have smellavision!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks, and yes, you’re better off not having to smell them 🤣
thehungrytravellers.blog
They definitely have a very real smile factor. Comical creatures. We are yet to see them in the wild for ourselves so can only imagine how lovely your experience was.
Sarah Wilkie
I hope you get to see them in the wild some day. I’d love to see more – we’re considering South Africa for some time next year, where we should be able to see them 🙂
thehungrytravellers.blog
South Africa is very much on our radar too….
kzmcb
Very entertaining.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂
restlessjo
Yes, I’m smiling! Such appealing creatures and wonderful photos, Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Jo, I’m happy to have made you smile 🙂
Anonymous
How marvellous to see them in the wild, poo or no poo
Sarah Wilkie
It was – worth every pongy moment!
Rebecca
Ah, how wonderful!! I immediately clicked on your post as soon as I saw the word “penguins.” Penguins are my favorite animal, and I had the great opportunity of seeing Magellanic penguins when I visited Argentina a few years ago. I’d planned to visit Antarctica a few years ago, too, but with COVID, it unfortunately did not happen. So fortunate you got to see so many different types of penguins, and now I’m raring to try again and head to Antarctica! Thanks for sharing your adventure, Sarah. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Rebecca 😊 I’m so pleased to have rekindled your interest in visiting Antarctica! I do hope you manage to get there one day soon.
Anne Sandler
I love penguins and your pictures of them.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne, they are pretty photogenic 🙂
Sandy
Friends of mine travelled to Antartica to see the penguins. Although the destination & penguins were spectacular, the stories about the trip itself was discouraging. Much easier for my landlubbering self to enjoy other peoples’ photos, like yours!
Sarah Wilkie
I’m sorry to hear your friends’ experiences weren’t as positive as ours, and curious why? It’s a shame if they’ve put you off such a trip!
Sandy
Rough seas, high winds, cold cold cold. I don’t fare well on ships and boats, so it doesn’t take much to dissaude me.
Sarah Wilkie
🤗 Did you know you can now do fly-in visits to the Antarctic? At a price, of course!
Paul
Magnificent, especially your banner photo.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Paul 😊
Tanja
They are so cute. You have really travelled to the end of the world and back 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Very true, we’ve been really lucky to be able to see places like this 🙂
sheetalbravon
What a delightful post, Sarah! Somehow I never gave a thought to any smells in a penguin colony. I naturally assumed the air would be sharp, biting cold, clean and fresh . Now I know better. 😊
Sarah Wilkie
The air is sharp, pretty cold (only occasionally biting during our trip) and away from the penguins also smells fresh. But get too close, or down wind, and …!
grandmisadventures
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! This is a bucket list experience for me. I would really love to go here and be so close to the penguins 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
I hope you make it one day, it’s a place that really does live up to (and exceed) expectations!
bushboy
Loved this post Sarah 😀
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Brian 😊
Brad M
I think you are correct Sarah, I smiled just reading the opening sentence.
Sarah Wilkie
That’s good to hear Brad 😀
Monkey's Tale
You’re right, you can’t see a penguin and not smile. Funny about the Gentoo wearing headphones 😊 Grat pics! Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Maggie 😊
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
How lovely to have been able to see them in nature
Sarah Wilkie
It was a real privilege, a trip we still remember to this day of course!