Penguin Quiz

Question:  Can you identify the type of penguin in the picture?  Hint: They live very far South from here, but not in Antarctica.

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Answer:  These are Magellanic Penguins.

They are named after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who organized the first expedition to sail all the way around the world. In the year 1520, they crossed around the end of South America through what is now known as the Strait of Magellan. In that strait is an island that is one of nesting sites of these penguins. We travelled by boat to get there. We were able to get close because they are not afraid of people, but we were careful not to disturb them. In the spring, the males make nests in the ground, and a couple of weeks later the females come to find their mate. If the male doesn’t have a good clean nest, the female may go elsewhere. In the fall (about March) they begin a migration where they swim about 1,500 kilometers north along either the Atlantic or Pacific coasts of South America to warmer waters for the winter.

The winner of the quiz is Kent Lethcoe, who was the first to provide the correct answer.