In the Company of Penguins
Last winter (the Antarctic summer), I traveled on an expedition ship from Ushuaia, Argentina, bound for the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia Island, and the Falklands (Malvinas). This was an adventure I’d longed for since childhood. Witnessing massive icebergs, the wild Southern Ocean, and the incredible creatures of the south polar world loomed large in my mind for decades. And it surpassed all of my very high expectations by providing a profound connection with the most wild heart of nature. I was constantly in awe and even brought to joyful tears by encountering this world full of amazing wonders - especially its iconic penguins!
The Bustling Penguin Cities of Antarctica
My first penguin encounter with Adélie penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula left me nearly overcome. Here I was, in real life, among thousands of birds covering the rocky shoreline, marching up snow-covered hills, and porpoising through the sea. I was met by a raucous chorus of braying and bleating as penguins chatted with their mates, chicks, and neighbors. Adélies are incredibly endearing. With their distinctive white eye rings giving them a comical, googly-eyed expression, they are the quintessential Antarctic penguins.
You can’t help but smile when watching penguins, especially when they navigate their penguin “highways.” These well-worn paths in the snow and rock provide them with the easiest routes to traverse between their colonies and the sea and they follow them with remarkable dedication. Many penguins waddle down these paths purposefully, but others seem to wander quite aimlessly. It was hilarious watching birds marching downhill, only to change their mind and reverse to join a group they encountered heading up.
The Adélies share the Antarctic with their cousins, the chinstrap penguins, named for the thin black line that runs under their heads. More aggressive than their Adélie neighbors, chinstraps establish their colonies on steeper, rockier terrain. We only encountered a few chinstraps standing around scattered in small groups on islands and icebergs so I didn’t get a chance to get to know them very well, but was struck by their distinctive plumage.
Gentoo Generalists
Throughout the journey, from Antarctica all the way to the Falklands, we encountered the adaptable gentoo penguins. With their bright orange bills and white "caps," gentoos have the widest range of any penguin species in the region. They're also the fastest underwater, capable of swimming up to 22 miles per hour—a fact I witnessed firsthand when our Zodiac was accompanied by porpoising gentoos easily keeping pace.
Gentoo colonies were everywhere. They build the most elaborate nests of any penguin, collecting stones that are valuable currency in gentoo society. The primary activity in each colony was stone stealing. Expert thieves, one gentoo would methodically steal pebbles from a neighbor's nest whenever its owner looked away, only to have its own nest robbed in turn when it was distracted by its thievery. I guess when you’re sitting on a pile of rocks in the snow there’s not much else to do!
The Kings of South Georgia
Nothing prepared me for my first sight of a king penguin colony on South Georgia Island. Unlike the smaller penguins, kings stand nearly three feet tall with striking orange patches on their necks and heads that seem to glow in the austere landscape. We cruised in Zodiacs along the shore of the massive colony at St. Andrews Bay holding over 100,000 birds—simply mind boggling!
My favorite experience was visiting the kings during our landing at Fortuna Bay, a cove surrounded by stunning mountains with penguins in every direction. Walking among them (always maintaining a respectful distance), I was struck by their curiosity. Kings often approach visitors, tilting their heads as if trying to figure out what strange creatures we might be. I can’t even describe how delightful this was!
The king’s breeding cycle spans more than a year, meaning you'll find birds at all stages of development in the colony simultaneously. We saw quite a few adolescent chicks transitioning from their brown downy feathers to their streamlined adult plumage suitable to a life at sea.
The Acrobats of the Falklands
Another penguin I encountered was the southern rockhopper, mostly seen on the Falkland Islands (known in Argentina as Las Malvinas.) These small but feisty penguins, with their spiky yellow crests resembling wild eyebrows, earn their name by their extreme agility. Instead of sliding on their bellies or walking like the others, rockhoppers bound from rock to rock with both feet together, hopping up super steep cliffs with vigorous determination.
One colony we visited was mixed among a colony of nesting black-browed albatross and it was super entertaining to watch the penguins fiercely confronting the much larger birds, constantly biting and screeching at them. Given the small area of suitable cliffside nesting space, I guess the albatross had little choice but to put up with them. It definitely didn’t seem like a peaceful neighborhood to raise your kids!
The Flamboyant Macaronis
If rockhoppers are the acrobats of the penguin world, their close cousins—the macaroni penguins—are undoubtedly the showstoppers. Named by English sailors who thought their dramatic yellow crests resembled the elaborate "macaroni" wigs fashionable among 18th-century dandies, these penguins bring a touch of flamboyance to the sub-Antarctic. Unlike the relatively modest yellow eyebrows of rockhoppers, macaroni crests extend from the center of their foreheads, sweeping backward in dramatic golden arcs.
We encountered our first macaroni colony on the coast of South Georgia, where thousands of yellow-plumed heads peeked out of the grasses along the steep hillsides while hundreds more gathered on the rocky shore.
The macaronis were most impressive as we watched them battle the swells and waves to return from the sea. Macaronis are powerful swimmers, and they exit the water with explosive force, often propelling themselves several feet up onto rocky shores with a single burst of speed. Their determination is unmistakable as they then face grueling climbs on their daily commute back to their colony, up long, steep slopes from the water's edge.
The Burrowers: Magellanic Penguins
The last type of penguin we saw were Magellanics, part of the banded penguin group. Named after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, these medium-sized penguins differ from their polar relatives in one striking way—they're burrowers. I had seen these guys before, off the coast of Chile on a previous trip to Patagonia so it was fun to see them again in the Falklands.
The Magellanics we saw shared a small island with gentoos and rockhoppers, each using a different portion for their nests. A close look revealed a grassy hillside honeycombed with penguin burrows, each housing a nesting pair and their chicks. The burrows—some extending six feet underground—provide protection from both the elements and predators.
Magellanics have distinctive markings that set them apart from the more typical black and white penguins: a broad black band loops under their chin and across their white belly, and a second band runs lower on their chest.
To Each a Niche
It was super interesting to see the variety of penguin species and how each is adapted to a slightly different niche. Kings and their larger cousins, the emperors, evolved to withstand the harshest conditions and fast for long periods. The brush-tailed penguins—Adélies, chinstraps, and gentoos—developed strategies for the more seasonally variable Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. Rockhoppers and macaronis found their place on rocky coasts where their hopping ability gave them access to predator-free nesting sites. And the Magellanics claim the more temperate islands closer to the South American continent.
Threats on the Horizon
My joy in observing these remarkable birds was tempered by the knowledge of the challenges they face. Climate change strikes at the heart of their existence. The warming Antarctic Peninsula has reduced sea ice, directly affecting krill—the foundation of the Antarctic food web and the primary food source for many penguin species.
On South Georgia, I learned about the island's successful rat eradication program. Introduced by whalers and sealers, rats had devastated ground-nesting birds. Thanks to the world's largest rodent eradication project, South Georgia's birds now breed more successfully—a rare conservation success story.
But other threats loom. Commercial fishing competes with penguins for krill and fish. Ocean acidification threatens the shell-forming organisms at the base of the food web. Microplastics have been found even in these remote waters. And while tourism brings awareness and conservation funding, it must be carefully managed to avoid disturbing breeding colonies.
The Honor of Bearing Witness
There is something profoundly humbling about sitting quietly near a penguin colony, having them accept your presence and continue their lives undisturbed. In those moments, I felt a great honor to be a witness to their ancient ways, unchanged for thousands of years before humans ever reached these shores. It was also gratifying to know that after decades of mass killings for their meat and oil, penguin populations have rebounded, safe once more in their icy environment.
I consider my camera a tool for bearing witness to the incredible places I’ve been lucky enough to visit. Each photograph I take aims to capture not just the birds themselves but the feeling of being in their presence—the determination, the playfulness, the remarkable adaptation to the world's harshest environments. I hope my photos help spark a bond with a creature most people will never see in person and remind us that the future of the penguins of the Southern Ocean depends on the choices we make miles away from their homes.
These majestic, comical, amazing birds have given me so much wonder, joy, and perspective. I’m so honored to share their story and hope it inspires others to ensure these extraordinary birds continue living their best wild lives for generations to come.
What an amazing experience to have, and what fabulous photos!
Such awesome pictures!