Macaroni penguins, Drake Passage, Chile
© Paul Souders/Getty Image
Macaroni penguins
How many kinds of penguins can you name? Today's snapshot features agile macaroni penguins swimming in the plankton-rich waters of the Drake Passage in Chile. These charming creatures are just one of 18 different species of penguin found in the Southern Hemisphere and can be recognised by their peculiar amber crests and prominent orange beak. Macaroni penguins gather in foraging groups, but males can be aggressive towards each other. To show passivity and avoid a fight, individuals often ease through colonies with their heads tucked down to their chests. Despite being beloved by us humans, penguins are threatened by reduced food availability, errant fishing nets and the profound impact of climate change on their habitat, sea ice.
Related Images
A pod of narwhals near Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
Sperm whale mother and albino baby swimming off the coast of Portugal
It’s our birthday too, yeah! Harbor seal pup lying on the beach, Heligoland, Germany
Green sea turtle with sardines near Playa Grandi Beach, Curaçao
West Indian manatees in Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA
Manatees in the Ichetucknee River in Florida
Galápagos sea lion off the shore of Fernandina Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Young humpback whale giving its mother a hug off the coast of Tonga
Bing Today Images
