Swimming At The Beach

December 18, 2008

This afternoon, the ice on the beach made a ramp so the penguins could swim and wade right in. It also afforded a good opportunity to watch them swimming underwater in the shallows. The birds must have hidden turbos or something. After entering the water, some extra force kicks in and they shoot around like guided missiles, leaving streams of bubbles in their wake. It’s amazing to watch the transformation from waddling walkers to swift swimmers: they truly fly underwater.

We found a few dead chicks over the last week (likely killed by skuas), and used the opportunity to dissect their stomachs to see what the penguins are eating. Right now, it looks like they’re catching 90% krill (shrimpy creatures) and a few small fish. Penguins catch the food underwater, return to their nests on land, and tenderly barf it up to hungry chicks. Most of the adults have pink dribble stains down their white feathers.

Penguin At The Beach

Penguins Exiting The Water

Penguin Flying Underwater