Endangered Northern Rockhopper Penguins on Nightingale Island Affected by Extensive Oil Spill

Nightingale Island, part of the remote Tristan da Cunha group in the South Atlantic, was hit on March 16th, 2011 by the MV Oliva, a freighter carrying soybeans from Brazil to Singapore. Over 800 tons of fuel oil was spilled onto the island's shores, poisoning the local population of endangered northern rockhopper penguins. I arrived on the site on March 23, 2011. This is what National Geographic photographer Andrew Evans reported..

Penguins truly are one of the feel-good animals.

Penguins truly are one of the feel-good animals.

"But there is very little fun loving or playful about the lives of Adélies. They live in the most brutal environment in the world — on the brink of catastrophe at all times. They survive by running the behavior code embedded in their genes, which were laid down by countless successful generations before them."

Jean Pennycook, writing in the ANTARCTIC SUN

Jean Pennycook observes the Adélie penguins at Cape Royds on Ross Island, Antarctica. Pennycook is the education and outreach coordinator for a long-term research program on the penguin colonies around the Ross Sea led by David Ainley.

Penguin of the Day - Rock Hopper

Penguin of the Day - Rockhopper - Images by Jonathan Chester

Rockhopper Eudyptes chrysocome (golden haired) is very noisy and quarrelsome bird, aptly named, Rockhopper, from its habit of bounding up quite steep rock strewn slopes with both feet together.

Theses tough penguins bear the nicknames “Rockies” or “Jumping Jacks” in the Falkland Islands. The smallest member of the crested penguins, the Rockhopper, is distinguished by having red eyes and the adults have a drooping yellow crest.
Immature birds have paler yellow eyebrows and lack the plumes.

Rockhoppers can rocket 1 mere (4 ft) out of the water when they make an exit from the sea and they can leap 30 centimeters (1 foot ) forward in a single bound - super penguin !. Males are generally larger than females and they nest in large colonies in caves on ledges and cliff tops often high above the waves.

On New Island, in the Falklands, a colony of some 3 million rockhoppers exists 200 ft above the sea. The rocks path way to the colony bare scars of thousands of years of erosion by ”rockies” sharp toenails. These high nesting sites are believed to be safer from seals. Rockhopper penguins may share their colonies with King Shags and Black-browed Albatross. They lay two large eggs, because the chicks need a lot of nourishment to develop on a nest of pebbles and grass - depending on what is available.

Rockhopper penguins face two threats on land, marauding birds and bad weather - high winds and rain squalls etc. A similar looking species to the Rockhopper, though with a more orange and bushy plume that meet on the font of its crown, is the Macaroni.

(from The Nature of Penguins. Jonathan Chester)

Penguin of the Day - Chinstrap

Penguin of the Day - Chinstrap - Images by Jonathan Chester

The Chinstrap Penguin, Pygoselis antarctica, is the second of the brush-tailed genera ranging from 71 to 76 centimetres (28 to 30 inches) in length and weigh some 3.9 - 4.4 kilograms (8 1/2 to 91/2 pounds). Though similar in appearance to the Adélie Penguin they are slightly smaller and more aggressive.

They are named for the distinctive narrow band of black tipped feathers that extends from ear to ear under their chin, like the strap of a guardsman's helmet. Their diet is similar to that of the Adélie Penguin, and on the Antarctic Peninsula, they can often be found breeding side by side.

Chinstraps hatch later than the Adelie and Gentoos, but their growth rate is faster. The chicks do not form creches, likes other species, but stay by their nests. They are found mostly in the subantarctic, but there are also large colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Chinstraps may be the most numerous penguin, with a population estimated at 12 to 13 million. They often select lofty sites that are the first to become snow free to ensure the maximum amount of time to raise their chicks.

(from The Nature of Penguins. Jonathan Chester)

Penguin of the Day - Magellanic

Penguin of the Day - Magellanic - Images by Jonathan Chester

The Magallenic Penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus was first identified by Forster, James Cook’s naturalist, in 1781. The specific name “magellanicus” was given to honour Ferdinand Magellan, whose’ expedition in 1519 was the earliest to record this species.

Magellanics are easily distinguished from the other ringed penguins by a double black band across their chest, rather than a single band as in the other ringed species. With a length of 70 centimetres (27 1/2inches) and weighing 4 kilograms (9 pounds), this medium sized penguin is the largest of the Spheniscus genus Magallenic Penguins, are found on the southern portion of South America and the Falkland Islands.

The Falkland’s local name for them is the "Jackass" which is derived from its loud mournful braying call frequently uttered at the entrance to the burrow.

(from The Nature of Penguins. Jonathan Chester)

Penguin of the Day - Adélie

Penguin of the Day - Adelie - Images by Jonathan Chester

Adélies are found all the way around the Antarctic continent and on neighboring islands, but they are rarely seen beyond the Antarctic convergence, the northern limit of the colder water. The Adélie is the classic “little man in evening dress”, though it is more like a cut away morning suit, than a typical tuxedo.

The Adélie’s most distinctive marking is a white ring around their eyes that beams out of an otherwise all black head. Adelies are not timid and will take on a 6 ft human who has strayed within their territory, as readily as another penguin. Having your leg pummelled by their tough flipper can result in a nasty bruise.

Adélie Penguins Pygoscelis adelie, one of the brush tail species, average 70 centimetres (28 inches) in length and weigh 3.7 to 4 kilograms (8 to 8 1/2 pounds). The designation Adélie comes from Adélie Land which was named by French explorer, Admiral Durmont d’ Urville in honour of his wife.

(from The Nature of Penguins. Jonathan Chester)

Penguin of the Day - Gentoo

Penguin of the Day - Gentoo - Images by Jonathan Chester

Gentoo penguins Pygoselis papua, are slightly larger than Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, standing 75 to 90 centimetres (37 to 30 inches) tall and weighing 6 kilograms (13 pounds). They can be recognised by their orange beaks and the flecked white marking above their eyes.

Gentoos are found right around the globe between 50° and 60° South, the scattered subantarctic islands, the Antarctic Peninsula being the southern most extent of their breeding range.

The origin of the name Gentoo is uncertain. One source suggests it is derived from the Portuguese “gentio”, a religious term meaning “not of the faith”, or gentile.

“Gentoo“ used to be a popular name in the 19th Century when it was used to describe Hindus in those parts of Anglo Indian society where Muslims predominated. The Hindus wear a white cotton cap and gentoos have a “white cap” - a band of feathers extending between the eyes across the top of the head.

Writer, Dianne Ackerman, suggests that the name Gentoo was the result of a ruse by: a British Museum man, who received a gentoo skin from an Antarctic explorer, thought it was a new species of bird, and decided to hide the information for a while. Later, he went off to Papua New Guinea, and when he returned, he described the bird as if it were one of the local species, naming it after the Gentoo, a religious sect on Papua New Guinea.

The scientific species name, papua originated from his description, lending credence to this explanation. (from The Nature of Penguins. Jonathan Chester)

Penguin of the Day

Penguin of the Day - Images by Jonathan Chester

King Penguins are found predominately in sub-Antarctic waters and breed and moult on an arc of far flung islands from: South Georgia, Heard, Macquarie, Prince Edward, Marion, Iles Kerguelen, to Crozet Island and as far north as the Falkland Islands.