On April 25 each year, animal lovers and conservationists worldwide celebrate World Penguin Day, a tribute to the endearing tuxedo-clad birds that waddle across icy slopes and dive through chilly seas.
Aligned with the Adélie penguins’ northward migration in Antarctica, this day celebrates the beauty and resilience of these flightless birds while raising awareness about their uncertain future.
World Penguin Day began as a nod to the Adélie penguins’ annual trek, observed by scientists in Antarctica. It has grown into a global event honoring the 18 penguin species, from the towering emperor penguin to the petite Galápagos penguin. These birds captivate with their quirky behaviors, like tobogganing on their bellies or building pebble nests for their mates.
Penguins are more than just adorable. They’re vital to marine ecosystems, serving as indicators of ocean health. Yet, many species face dire threats. Climate change disrupts their icy habitats, while overfishing depletes their food sources, such as krill and fish. World Animal Protection highlights that penguins are increasingly vulnerable, with several species classified as endangered.
Penguins are full of surprises. For instance, emperor penguins can dive deeper than 1,800 feet and hold their breath for over 20 minutes, making them the deepest-diving birds on Earth. Meanwhile, gentoo penguins are the speedsters, swimming up to 22 miles per hour. And who can resist their romantic side?
Some penguins, like the Adélie, propose to their mates by presenting a perfect pebble. Some species of penguins, such as the Magellanic penguin, pair off for a lifetime, while others are “serially monogamous, meaning they will have one partner each year and will stay faithful to their partner during that time. But next year, they may have a different partner,” according to Quark Expeditions. “Adélie and gentoo penguins are somewhere in the middle. They will do their best to reconnect with each other year after year.”
These traits make penguins crowd favorites at zoos and aquariums, including right here in Dallas. The Dallas Zoo is participating in an effort to save the African penguin from extinction.
“Associate Curator Kevin Graham has designed an artificial nest to give penguins a safe place to nest and raise their chicks. He and other Dallas Zoo staff members travel to South Africa each year to install them along the coastline. Since January 2018, the team has installed almost 1,700 nests in six colonies across South Africa!” the zoo’s website states.
The climate in Dallas is very similar to the African penguin’s natural habitat, the website notes. Although penguins are often associated with the icy continent of Antarctica, they can also be found on the southwest coast of Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador. The Galapagos penguins are the only wild penguins that live at least part of the time in the Northern Hemisphere.
World Penguin Day isn’t just about admiration—it’s a push for action. Conservationists urge people to support sustainable fishing practices to ensure penguins have enough food. Reducing plastic pollution is another critical step, as marine debris threatens penguin habitats.
To celebrate World Penguin Day, here are five more fun facts to share with friends and family:
1. Penguins jump in the air before diving to release trapped air from their feathers, cutting down on drag and doubling or tripling their swimming speed underwater.
2. Their “tuxedo suits” act as camouflage in the ocean. When viewed from above, their black backs blend with the water, and when viewed from below, their white underbellies blend with the bright surface water.
3. While penguins primarily drink fresh water from pools and streams, they can also drink saltwater when necessary, thanks to a gland located above the eye that removes the saltwater from their bloodstream. The excess salt is then expelled through the bill or by sneezing.
4. Fossil records indicate that a now-extinct ancient breed of penguins stood more than five feet tall and weighed about 220 pounds.
5. A group of penguins in the water together is called a raft. Penguins spend as much as 80% of their lives in the ocean.