Two Magellanic penguins, Falkland Islands
© Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Getty Image
Look at these lovebirds. Happy Valentine's Day!
Love is in the air today: it's Valentine's Day! Across the globe, millions of flowers will be sent, and romantic restaurants will be fully booked for Valentine's dates. This day has its origins in the story of Saint Valentine, a Roman Christian who, according to legend, performed marriages for Christian soldiers who were forbidden from marrying. Just like the human lovebirds who will be celebrating today, nature also has its own romantics.
Today's image features a couple of Magellanic penguins, photographed holding flippers in the Falkland Islands. These penguins, which are found in coastal Patagonia, mate with the same partner every year. The male returns to the burrow he used the year before and waits for his partner, who can recognise him by his voice alone. Although love should be celebrated every day, today is the perfect day to make an extra effort and show your loved one how much you care.
Chinstrap penguins, South Sandwich Islands, South Atlantic Ocean
Adélie penguins in Antarctica
Adélie penguin in Graham Passage, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
Southern rockhopper penguins on the Falkland Islands
