It’s probably fun to be a penguin. First of all, you are wearing a beautiful suit. In addition, you and your friends are constantly going to large noisy groups. And frankly, you’re very nice. It is not surprising that it is because of these comical creatures that most travelers visit Antarctica.
The Adelie penguin, the most common penguin species in the world, lives in the Antarctic region. From December to March, these 70-centimeter birds gather in large numbers to nest on ice-covered rocky shores. It is estimated that five to seven million Adelie penguins live in the Ross Sea region alone, including the largest colony (250,000 pairs) at Ridley Beach. Nothing compares to the feeling you will experience standing among a chaotic sea of talking penguins sitting on nests or cradling their fluffy chicks.
One of the most remarkable events takes place in the first half of February, when all the chicks line up on the shore to jump into the icy water and join their parents. This is terribly exciting and dangerous, because the number one enemy of penguins – the sea leopard – is waiting for them on the waves in the hope of a delicious dinner.
YOUR ADVENTURE: The first attempts of chicks to swim across the sea teeming with predators
WHERE: Cape Adair, north of McMurdo
DATES: Mid-February
