The Penguins are very interesting birds – charismatic, friendly, and inhabits some of the places in the world with the most harsh conditions. Contrary to popular belief, penguins do not live at the North Pole, nor are Antarctic bird. Here’s where you can see them in their natural habitat:
Gough Island
Many people have never even heard of Gough Island. This is small island in the South Atlantic and is too remote to be inhabited by people. The Goff usually has no more than 6 people and these are employees of the weather station. The island is located at 2900 km from Cape Town and 3200 km from South America. Because it is remote, it is a refuge for wildlife, especially birds. The island has over 3000 nesting pairs of penguins.
The Galapagos Islands
Surely you’ve heard about the Galapagos Islands – whether because of giant tortoises that live there or by Charles Darwin and his finches studies of 19th century however are not the only creatures that inhabit the Equatorial Islands. Here live and Galapagos penguins –the only penguins kind North of the equator. After the alarming decline in their numbers, by 1980 they were declared an endangered species. To date, the population is slowly increasing.
South Africa
People usually associate the penguins with cold climates and zoos, making it a very surprising fact that these birds do not always live in the snowy land of Antarctica. In fact, Africa is also a place where you can see penguins. However, they were declared an endangered species. African penguins inhabit areas of Namibia and southern parts of the continent.
Australia
Australia is known for its rich biodiversity and is home to some of the most unique species in the world. Its lands inhabited and a large population of a specific genus of little blue penguins, also known as fairy penguins. They live mainly on the southern coast of the continent. Reach the height of about 40 cm and weight 1 kg. Differ from other kinds of penguins mainly in that they do not nest above ground, and live in burrows.
New Zealand
Like Australia, New Zealand also has a unique biodiversity. In addition to the little blue penguins, here live more hooded penguins.
Chile
South America is usually associated with the Amazon and dense jungles, Andes and Machu Picchu. Often forget that in the South end, the continent has a subpolar climate.
Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands off the coast of Argentina, are one of the places where you can see the great variety of species of penguins. They are home to over 500 000 nesting pairs, making more than a million penguins.
Antarctica
Although at different places in the world you can see penguins in their natural habitat, Antarctica remains undoubtedly a leading. With a few exceptions here are the largest populations of most species.
