King Penguins
I admit I have a thing for penguins . . .
. . . but then again, who doesn’t? Perhaps it’s the way they mimic us humans: walking upright, nuzzling their mates, or slapping each other on the back. Or else it’s the way they are different from us: surviving and thriving in the most inhospitable places on planet Earth.
Whatever the reason, watching penguins in the wild is far better than anything you’ll ever see on afternoon television. They are marvelous birds and so highly entertaining in real life that I keep finding ways to travel back to their cold and southern world.
Of all the species I’ve encountered in the world, king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) have been the most numerous, blanketing the beaches of the island of South Georgia (where I am currently and where I saw the very rare all-black king penguin), as well as other sub-Antarctic islands I have visited (e.g. Australia’s Macquarie Island).
Poised and brilliantly colored, king penguins are the second largest species in the world, smaller than more iconic emperor penguins (of Happy Feet fame). Although, for at least a century before Antarctic exploration, king penguins were thought to be the largest, hence their original nickname “king”.
We have projected our own human hierarchies onto these birds, as well as our human emotions, so that visiting the many penguin colonies of South Georgia naturally leads to deeper contemplation about human behavior. How are we the same as these birds? How are we different?
These are the questions I ask myself every time I am perched at the edge of a screaming colony of king penguins. Like humans, king penguins are comical and beautiful, but also tragic and severe, and like humans, king penguins can behave so lovingly and with such care, or act defensively and mean-spirited.
I have spent the last three days hunkered down with a collective total of nearly one million resident penguins on South Georgia. Honestly, they are beginning to feel like old friends, and on this voyage from one continent to another, I have developed an even stronger affection for this particular species.
And so I dedicate this post to the king penguins — perhaps “second” in size and popularity, but forever kingly just the same.
Related Topics
Go Further
Animals
- These 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animalsThese 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animals
- These photos are works of art—and the artists are bugsThese photos are works of art—and the artists are bugs
- The epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfishThe epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfish
- Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75
Environment
- Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.
- This year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning signThis year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning sign
- The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?
- The most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater weldersThe most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater welders
- The harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to surviveThe harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to survive
History & Culture
- Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’
- A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.
- Meet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural iconMeet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural icon
- Inside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysicsInside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysics
Science
- LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?
- NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.
- Humans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying themHumans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying them
- Why engineers are concerned about aging infrastructureWhy engineers are concerned about aging infrastructure
Travel
- Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada
- Paid Content
Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada - This couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountainsThis couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountains