The first few times you see these gorgeous - somewhat slightly walking-challenged animals, you are blown away by how adorable they are and there is no denying it - THEY ARE ADORABLE!!! However, the 1,000th time you see these cute, little "drunken-stumbling" animals on land - you don't quite have the same high you had during your first time round. I am not saying I don't like penguins - BUT unless you have smelt them for as long as I have, so long in fact that all of your clothes themselves now smell like penguin guano. I simply do not have the same amazing initial excitement I originally had a few months prior. However, I still do smile when I reminisce. As I flick through photos of my encounters at various penguin breeding colonies memories flood my mind.
You can also easily watch them stumble over themselves, fall over rocks and one another for hours on end- it's basically like watching a soap opera.
Throughout the season down in Antarctica, you see the life of penguins go through their different cycles. During the start of the summer Antarctic season the breeding penguin colonies (November) are typically just arriving and some are already on their eggs.
*A cute Adelie penguin on their egg, awaiting for the little one to hatch. *
A little bit later on.. as mid-december arrives eggs begin to hatch and the era of baby penguins and their cuteness is upon us on the Antarctic peninsula.
Two Gentoo baby penguins under the watchful eye of their parent.
The one somewhat sad and negative thing that does frequently occur at penguin breeding colonies is the presence of predators. The main one you always see circling high in the sky above the flightless birds is the Skua. These birds, the Skua, get bit of a bad rap, as they are known as the villains in the penguin world. Their food source is penguin eggs and baby penguins... I know - How dare they?!?!?
Remember this though - they also have babies to feed and birds gotta eat... This is how the natural world works, with a very beautiful balance between predator and prey. This relationship has been functioning for 10,000s of thousands of years around the world in all ecosystems, both marine and terrestrial.
South Polar Skua standing near its nest on Cuverville Island on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Regardless, of the smell and noise that 10,000's of penguins creates in a small space. Their cuteness is overwhelming and melts the heart of the toughest person. My advice is buy a ticket, pack your bag and head to one of the most remote and beautiful places that remains on this planet. Antarctica.
Thanks for reading & all of your support.
For more stories and photos check out my Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/thomas_mitchell2912/
Nice post from you
I love the pictures .. Well done .. Glory to the Creator
Thanks for sharing that with us.
Indeed sad but that is pretty true, the more we see something, the less exciting it become, that's natural; that's why I prefer not going to the same place twice, and just keep on moving.
There is no other thing in the world that can satisfy you like travelling in my opinion.
Also, super cute photographs, unfortunately, I havent yet had the opportunity to meet the penguins
And lmao, that deathly predator(skua) also looks super cute, it looks like it is the product when you breed a hawk, a kiwi and a sea gull together.
beautiful photos! "I have followed you in Steemit, please be kind enough to follow me too."
I love their young ones, very cute. Another thing to note about them is their family relations, just like humans one male penguin to one female penguin.
wow! amazing photography, specially penguins is outstanding, looking so nice, thanks for sharing, like it dear
And I felt better after finishing this post..
I felt better too after realizing that nature is such a wonderful creation by reading this post.
Really nice articel my freind...
Maybe you can give me advice to better forward
I wish I could take one home as a pet honestly.
mothers love his all child....i love my mom
Beutiful
Such amazing animals, beautiful to admire and adorable. How beautiful is creation. Thanks for sharing this.
Great post! The picture of the mom and babies is so adorable.
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Lol..i had no idea penguins smelt that bad. I have always been focused on their cuteness...their funny way of walking and of course the noise. I really hope i would have the opportunity to see them someday. Thanks for the insight. I am new on steemit and i like your posts on nature.
Wow! How are they that cute? ^^
They are adorable indeed!
Wow amazing photos and very nice for sharing my friend @thomajmitchell i like it.
I would like to invite you to visit my blog @rizkyakbar thank you my friend
I am very happy with your post, because I have never seen directly penguins, I read your post is so cool and I am very interested to dantang there, thanks for your good post .. @thomasjmitchell
amazing picter !:)
They are very cute...I didn't know the smell so bad though! Do you live on Antarctica or how come you see them so often?
Penguins are truly amazing creators even without flight they are more popular then some with flight
Thanks again.
Would love to explore Antarctica someday and see these adorable penguins!
Awe I've always wanted to see a penguin in its natural habitat! What lovely little creatures. Thanks for the added motivation to get out there and see some beautiful creatures in person!
Penguins are such amazing creatures. Reading this and seeing the pictures reminded me of the times when we used to watch penguins on Discovery and NatGeo. Good old times they were.