January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day! As a true penguin fan, I naturally have my favorite among the 18 different penguin species: Despite a general tendency towards understatement, when it comes to Antarctic birds, I have to admit that I am particularly fond of the largest and most magnificent of all: the emperor penguin. And that is no coincidence.

The emperor penguin is a truly magnificent specimen, reaching up to 1.30 m in length and weighing up to 40 kg. A characteristic red stripe on its black beak and its slightly orange collar make it unmistakable. It is so ingeniously built and organized that temperatures of -40°C cannot harm it.

Like all penguin species, emperor penguins are monogamous and communicate using their individual calls, none of which are the same. During courtship, they shout a lot in order to memorize the call of their partner. This is pretty much the only distinguishing feature of the tuxedo wearers. Their gaze is so cool and majestic, even when they slip. Nothing seems to unsettle them. Not even a strange guest who has apparently perfected the energy-saving technique of sliding on their stomachs. Wonderful shots! 

Cool from the start: emperor penguins, ice and body heat

Emperor penguin chicks hatch in the coldest part of Antarctica, in the middle of the deepest winter. They are able to fly in January – the Arctic summer – and start their own adventure away from the folds of their parents' bellies.

The extreme cold means that the emperor penguin has no natural enemies to fear on land. The fact that they still live in colonies is due to the scarcity of nesting sites, which can only be in sheltered locations. The colony also represents a huge partner exchange for the young animals. And finally, many bodies provide a lot of warmth. You will look in vain for aggressive territorial behavior among these peaceful giants.

After the female has laid the egg, the father uses his beak to move it to his feet. This has to happen very quickly: the icy temperatures outside the plumage of the parents' belly fold quickly put an end to the delicate life in the thin-shelled eggs. After laying the egg, the mother is so emaciated that she has to build up her fat reserves by hunting for months.

This means that the self-sacrificing dads fast for two to four months at a time while the egg incubates and the chick grows. In doing so, they provide their brood with a special milk - yes, the fathers! To get through this, the straw widowers stick together tightly and gather around one another in large circles. The hunger artists give themselves and their offspring energy through warmth. The emperor penguins have developed a great system for this, which testifies to their team spirit: after certain intervals, everyone changes position. This way, everyone is sometimes in the warm middle, sometimes on the cool edge. Only the young animals do not have to go out. This group warmth technique is copied by the chicks as soon as they have fledged. When you see the piles of grey cotton balls, you definitely have a cuteness overload. Quick, give me my stuffed baby !

Lightning-fast master swimmer

On land, it moves at a leisurely pace with a waddling gait that seems clumsy to humans, but in the water the emperor penguin is a nimble hunter and very skilled diver. It can survive at depths of around 500 metres for up to 20 minutes. It hunts fish in the open sea and in cracks in the pack ice at speeds of over 10 km/h. It usually travels in groups, known as "rafts", and covers incredible distances. Sometimes they can be seen jumping out of the water like dolphins while swimming. Scientists have so far found no other explanation for this than pure joy of life.

What do you think? Are they having fun? Aren't emperor penguins great? If you agree, please leave me a like and also a comment.

I'm happy!

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