 |
| A pair of King penguins carefully navigate Antarctica’s icy terrain. |
In this issue we travel to Antarctica, home to my favorite bird—the beloved and whimsical penguin. Melissa, our senior art director, and I oohed and aahed over photos of fuzzy chicks huddled against their mothers’ tummies.
I pointed to one and said, “That’s it. That’s the perfect cover for the magazine.” “Sorry, this penguin is from South America,” she replied with such authority it surprised me.
“What do you mean?” I asked, somewhat embarrassed by my obvious lack of penguin knowledge.
Melissa clicked on a map of the world and explained that there are 17 species of penguins—in both warm and extremely cold climates, although all reside in the Southern Hemisphere. (The Galápagos penguin actually straddles the equator and is the most northerly penguin.)
“How do you know so much about penguins?” I asked, looking around her office for a possible altar of penguin knickknacks.
She smiled. “I just think they’re fascinating animals.”
Following her lead, I learned that in Antarctica, only four breeds exist on the continent itself—Adelie, Emperor, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins. The remainder (including King penguins) inhabit coastlines from the Antarctic Circle to New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, the Galápagos Islands and the coastlines of South America and southern Africa.
These flightless birds spend a majority of their lives in frigid waters and withstand extremely harsh conditions. Their bodies are insulated by a thick layer of blubber and a dense network of waterproof plumage. Their distinguished white-and-black markings and distinctive waddle are indeed reminiscent of a tuxedo-suited guest at a formal party.
Penguins typically breed in large, dense colonies called “rookeries”—some with 180,000 or more birds. Adult pairs take turns incubating their eggs and feeding the chicks once they have hatched. Communication at these crowded rookeries is important for locating one’s mate or offspring, and each individual penguin has a unique call.
Melissa and I discussed what makes these animals so cool…and lovable. Perhaps it’s their graceful, yet comical walk—or their adorable beaks from above which tiny eyes peer all-knowing at you. Some penguins—like the Emperor—are huge, while others are quite small. They are one of Mother Nature’s finest and most fascinating treasures.
Come join the fun and check it out at AAA.com!
 |
Editor-in-chief, AAA Going Places
letters@aaagoingplaces.com |