Everything that you imagine about seeing penguins, free range penguins, is true. You are, perhaps, unaware that you smell penguins before you see them, but everything else you know — that they are the perfect combination of adorable and hilarious — is completely accurate.
There was a lot of yelling on our first day of penguin spotting, mostly because people were getting too close. One is meant to stay 15 feet from the penguins, but that was not happening. By day three, however, the rule seemed to be relaxed for two reasons. One, people were a bit more calm at the sight of the penguins. And two, many of the places we visited were positively choked with penguins.
No place was more penguin packed than Port Lockroy. Prior to landing at Port Lockroy, we were told that “the 15 foot rule doesn’t really work here, so just watch your step and try to give the chicks some room.”
I watched a chick pull at someone’s bootlace and then, bored with the inedibility of that, flop down on its belly in the middle of the trail. “Give him some room,” I was told, which meant I walked by him only to have to move aside when another chick was headed right for me.
I never got tired of looking at the penguins, though I was disappointed, just a tiny bit, that we didn’t see more species of penguins. That doesn’t mean that I was disappointed with the penguins themselves, ever. I loved sitting with them — on every landing I would park myself, not too close, on a not too penguin guano covered spot, and hang out. It was enjoyable to sit with these funny birds — they’d look at me, I’d look at them, and we’d both look out to sea. They’d preen and fuss, I’d zip up my jacket and pull out my camera, we were like friends at the beach together.
But it was fun to see them from far away, too. With every landing, we would smell them, first, and then, we’d see them, from a distance, lining the shore, little butlers all in their formal black and white suits, wandering back and forth across the ice.
In case you’ve forgotten, I was a guest of Travel Wild for this trip.They covered most — but not all — of my expenses.
darling wobbly cute bowlegged butlers! Love this one, esp the view of the hill.
Haha, SO cute! They look like they´re dancing. Like fancy penguin ice capades =)
While I’ve seen penguins act hilariously at a zoo, it’s pretty cool that they’re that way in their natural environment too. Were you able to take any video of the penguins in action?
I do have some video, I need to prep it for the web. Stand by for that.
A sign how much you love penguins (and who could blame you) is how often you use the word “penguin” in this post. Which is almost all of the time.
As I say, no blame is being projected whatsoever.
What does a penguin smell like, then?
It’s sort of a nitrogen fertilizer kind of smell. Only sharper, way sharper.
When I go to Antarctica I don’t think I’ll be able to blog about my experience. How do you put something SO amazing into words? Just awesome!!!
The fact you can’t touch them and play with them is definitely torture. Great story of the little guy pecking at a shoe lace. Fun!
Finding a penguin poo free spot is definitely an adventure. Sounds like a great series of experiences!
I love the imagery of the penguins as little tuxedo-ed butlers running about on their private businesses and then reconvening! What an amazing trip. I look forward to those videos!
I guess you are one of very few people who had bothered to research the different species of penguin and cared about seeing the different types… Love the two in the last pic. They look as though they need to be set to music (perhaps ukelele)?
Haha, your penguin experience seems similar to ours in South Africa! They do stink! Down in Simons Town S.A you can swim with them in the summer but they bite your ass!