We encountered four species of nesting penguins this morning on Saunders Island, in the Falkland Islands group. In the picture are gentoo penguins. We also saw magellanic, rockhopper, and king penguins. All of us observed very small chicks being kept warm by mom or dad. Although it looked like they should be crushed, the little fellas seemed to be a might miffed if they were uncovered without being fed. A few lucky people even saw chicks hatching. Walking through the scattered rookeries was like visiting a bustling city on a strange world. We were constantly on the lookout for traffic and often had to stand aside (and barely contain our mirth) as ten or twenty penguins waddled down or up from the sea. In the king penguin rookery there was one large chick whose immature plumage resembled a large fur coat -- a normal condition for this species. It just stood around, motionless, but curious, with wings outstretched, looking much like a child that had been dressed in too much winter clothing.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 04 Dec 1999
From the Caledonian Star in the Falklands, 12/4/1999, National Geographic Endeavour
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour
- Galápagos
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