It is World Penguin Day! Let’s celebrate by watching and learning about our endearing flightless friends, whose very image brings so much cheer and joy even on the darkest of days.
So, let’s dive in —
Emperor penguins can dive to depths of 535 m and remain submerged for up to 30 minutes. It has several adaptations to facilitate this, including an unusually structured haemoglobin to allow it to function at low oxygen levels, solid bones to reduce barotrauma, and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions.
And get to know our Penguins -
Some more info, from the National Horse’s mouth -
More fun facts -
FYI — Penguins live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, with only one species, the Galapagos penguin, found north of the equator.
Ready for a Quiz?
"I find penguins at present the only comfort in life… one can’t be angry when one looks at a penguin" - John Ruskin.
We can see why —
Penguin having fun -
Cute!
Penguins are smarter than you think, especially when you are not watching -
And intelligent. And very human.
Just because you have PhDs does not mean you can skip the Penguin inspection!
No contraband allowed in the Antarctic. Bribes are OK.
It’s not all fun and games; Nature can be harsh -
Every winter, emperor penguins traverse up 80 km across the ice to reach their breeding grounds under some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Emperor penguins are monogamous during each breeding season, choosing only one mate. Most will find a new mate the next year, but some pairs choose the same mate again. The egg hatches in May or June, the male incubates the egg huddled with other males for over two months, when temperatures can fall to -50°C and winds can gust up to 200 kmph, while the female travels back to the sea to feed and return with food two months later.
But there is strength in numbers -
There are over 600,000 emperor penguins around the Antarctic continent.
Pollution and Climate change affects everyone, we have to do more.
A Wildlife reserve is one small step -
Ecologist Michelle LaRue on the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
Please share you pictures, videos, thoughts and insights on our Penguin friends and the future of Penguinkind.
Further Reading
- 69 Wonderful Facts about Penguins — www.factretriever.com/…
- en.wikipedia.org/...
- Penguin Evolution — www.penguins-world.com/…
- Penguins-World — www.penguins-world.com
P.S.
Test post B. Test post B.