Gentoo Penguins

Project Noah Nature Class Video to learn all about Gentoo Penguins!

Video Script: Welcome to a snowy day on the Antarctic Peninsula - home to this large colony of Gentoo Penguins! Gentoos are the third-largest penguin species - after the king penguin and emperor penguin – and they are experts at surviving in this harsh Antarctic climate. They can be identified by a bright orange bill and a white stripe extending horizontally across the top of their head. You might also notice the pink discolored snow, which is actually this color because of the waste from thousands of penguins living together in close proximity! Here, a mating pair work together to collect rocks as they build their nest. These rocks or stones are arranged in a circular pile that can be up to 10 inches in diameter. Females lay two eggs and both parents will guard the nest and share in the responsibility of incubating eggs. While it’s not happening in this instance, it is not uncommon for penguins to steal rocks from other nests. And here we have a small group diving into the water to feed. Gentoos primarily eat crustaceans like krill and lobster. But they also will eat small fish and squid. Before they can hunt and eat, they first need to muster up the courage and take the plunge...Peer pressure sometimes does the trick! Once in the water, these penguins are excellent swimmers – reaching speeds of up to 22 miles per hour underwater, the fastest of all penguin species! This speed not only helps them hunt their favorite crustaceans – it also comes in handy as they must steer clear from marine predators like killer whales, sea lions and leopard seals. While healthy adults are lucky to not have predators on land, chicks (and eggs!) must steer clear from many species of predatory seabirds.